


Relics from the past

by softalex



Category: Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Genre: F/F, this is still the longest piece of fiction ive ever written :/, written by a 13yr old
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2011-04-13
Updated: 2017-08-12
Packaged: 2018-12-14 10:34:30
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 25,619
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11781357
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/softalex/pseuds/softalex
Summary: Exactly what it says on the tin. Stuff I wrote at age 13, back in 2011. Might be a fun read for one or two people.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I grew up bilingual, speaking both German and Swedish, so English is technically my third language, but it's the first I've learnt non natively. At the age of 13 I think I had been learning english for 5 years.
> 
>  
> 
> I haven't edited or changed anything. All errors are included, even my embarrassing authors notes and disclaimers. Have fun reading my very first fanfic.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> this is the first fanfic i actually posted somewhere. I didn't write it in one sitting, and I received frequent feedback from the senior gays over on the kitten board. (which still exists today, gods bless) 
> 
> Feedback is probably why my english improved throughout writing it. I started it before my thirteenth birthday but towards the end of the fic I'm actually closer to fourteen. 
> 
> It's cool.

**Rating:** PG-13 (For casual swearing, and violence)  
  
**Disclaimer:** I own everything in this world except BTVS, that belongs to Joss.   
  
**Feedback:** Hell yeah!   
  
**Summary:** Willow is a cop in LA, one day she meets a girl with a dark past, they fall inlove and etc. The girl is Tara of course and I of course suck at summaries.  
  
**Angst:** Though it deals with violence, and stuff I’ll try to make it not so angsty... Can’t promise there won’t be any angst though..  
  
**Note:**  This beginning of a story is not beta:ed or edited.  
**________________  
  
Part 1**  
  
  
”So, Willster, didn’t see ya at the bronze last night. Busy screwin’ the girlfriend?” Joked a dark haired man and patted his friends shoulder.  
  
”Shut up Harris. We’ve been on ONE date. And it was god awful. There will be no second date and certainly no screwing.”  <[i]And I’m suprised to never have been in a serious relationship at the age of 25. Idiot[/i].>  
  
”Yeah, right. Faith told me you got her all soft.”  
  
”How’d you know that?” <[i]At least acting class was good for something[/i]> She thought.  
  
”Well, lets see... A little thing called a spy cam.” Said Xander with a smirk.  
  
”You are such a nerd.”  
  
”And don’t you forget it.” The boy said and gave away a lopsided grin ”Anyway, speaking of nerds, have you seen Warren? I need to get the reports from yesterdays case.”  
  
”What case? No one told me there was a case?” Willow said worriedly.  
  
”Will, sweetie, we live in LA. There’s always a case.”   
  
”Right, LA, baby. So, what’s the hubhub?”  
  
”I don’t know, that’s why I have to find Meers, he has the reports.”   
  
”Oh, well, last time I saw him was about 10 minutes ago, trying to hook up with Buffy.”  
  
Xander laughed mockingly ”That poor loser. Buffy is just as you, gayer than christmas. Anyway, I’m off to get nerd help”  
  
”See ya Harris.”  


 

*********

  
  
The redhead sat in her car and drove around. She glanced at the watch, 9PM. That’s when her round began.  
  
  
Willow wondered how the people would go asleep at night if they knew all the awful things that really happened at night.   
  
  
No, she sighed, it was better for them not to know.  
  
  
She pulled over at a parking spot and walked the rest of the road. She was on her way to the park, where she was supposed to look after a few kids dealing with illegal fireworks.  
  
  
Pfft, she’d been a cop for years, and all she got was fireworks?  
  
If she could decide, fireworks would be Warren's job and she would get to work with.. she was dragged out of her ‘deep’ thoughts as she heard someone groan. In pain.   
  
Willow turned around, and spotted the alley she had walked past so many times. That was where the noise came from.  
  
She turned on her flashlight and walked down the alley.   
  
As the brave redhead finally reached the end of the alley the noise got clearer. When the light of the flashlight shone on the gound, she noticed someone laying there.  
  
Willow walked closer and saw that it was a woman and that she had been badly beaten.  
  
She checked the pulse, it was weak, but it was there.   
  
Something else the redheaded cop noticed while she took up her phone to call 911 was the womans gorgeous blonde hair, but she had no time to think about that.  
  
It didn’t take so long for the ambulance to get there, about a minute actually. But to Willow it seemed like forever.   
  
  
That is why she was extremely relieved when the paramedics finally arrived.  
  
  
”It this the girl?” One of the paramedics asked as he checked the girls pulse.  
  
  
”Yes. She’s been unconcious the whole time.” Willow responded and fidgeted worriedly.  
  
  
”Okay. Are you her sister?” Another guy asked.  
  
  
”No,” The cop responded ”though I’d be happy to come along with her, if that’s okay for you.”  
  
  
  
”Er.. sure, I bet she’ll be glad knowing who saved her.” The paramedic smiled as he placed the girl on a stretcher and with his co-worker rolled her in the ambulance. ”So, are you seeing someone?”  
  
  
  
Sighing, the redhead rolled her eyes and sat down in the ambulance. This was gonna be a long drive.  
  
  
**  
  
Willow sat in the waiting room, waiting and waiting.   
  
  
  
  
She had done almost every crossword in all the magazines when the doctor finally said that the girl, now known as Tara Maclay, was awake, stable, and wanted to know who saved her.  
  
  
  
  
Tara had a few fractures, but just minor ones. Most of her wounds were shallow, but some would unfortunately be scars.  
  
  
  
A doctor followed Willow into the room where Tara was lying, and for the first time, green emerald eyes met blue sapphire ones.  
  
  
  
Willow was stunned. The womans eyes were amazing, as blue and deep as the ocean.  
  
  
  
After what felt like a lifetime of gazing, Tara finally spoke up. ”Hey. S-so you are t-the one who s-s-saved me.” The blonde said, cursing her stutter.  
  
  
  
”Yep, that’s me.” Willow said happily. ”Though, I wouldn’t go as far as saved, all I did was call the hospital-” She was interrupted by Tara’s sweet voice.  
  
  
  
”That’s what saved me. Many p-people wouldn’t even have found me, or j-just ignored that I was there. B-but you didn’t, and so you saved m-my life. End of s-story.” Tara said and smiled genuinely.  
  
  
  
”Fine. I saved you.. wait, what kind of hero am I if I don’t even tell you my name?” Willow blushed ”My name is Willow, Willow Rosenberg.”  
  
  
  
Tara looked at the redhead, she thought, but when she saw Willows cheeks go from regular to crimson red she realized that she’d not thought it.   
  
  
  
”Oh godess, I s-said that out loud, didn’t I?” Willow nodded, mentally doing a happy dance.  
  
  
  
Right then, a nurse walked in, towards Willow ”Miss Maclay, you can come over tomorrow, but right now Tara needs to rest.”   
  
Willow ducked her face when the nurse walked out the room.  
  
”Miss Maclay, huh?” Tara smiled tiredly.  
  
Blushing even more, Willow explained. ”I kind of told them you were my cousin. I really wanted to stay and make sure you were okay. It was either that, or show them my badge.”  
  
”Badge?”   
  
”I’m a cop, that’s me. Willow the cop.”   
  
”Okay, so you’re like a wild cop girl?” Tara joked and gazed at Willow.  
  
”Oh no, I’m not wild. Wild on me equals spaz.”  
  
Tara chuckled, right then, the nurse came in again. ”You can come visit her tomorrow, okay Miss?”   
  
The redhead nodded, as she looked at Tara’s lips moving. She knew the girl was saying something, but she was lost in her eyes.  
  
Willow blinked ”Huh?”  
  
Tara looked funnily at the redhead. ”You do have facebook, right?”  
  
”Oh, yes. Yes I do.”   
  
”Great, when I get outta here I’ll add you.” The blonde said.  
  
The blondes easy way of dealing with being abused by someone did not go unnoticed by the curious cop.   
  
Walking out to her car, that she’d had time to pick up while waiting, she sat in it and began her drive home.  
  
  
Willow looked at her watch. 00:53AM  _< well, that="" means="" the="" guys="" are="" at="" bronze.="" i="" could="" go="" there.="" mean,="" do="" feel="" in="" need="" of="" some="" friendly-dance-time.="">_  
  
  
Pulling over, she drove to the Bronze instead.  
  
  
The Bronze was a local dance bar, and it had been the hangout place for Willow and her friends since the first year of high school.  
  
  
  
When Willow finally arrived, Xander stood outside and waved at Willow.  
  
”Hey Will. Wazup?” The drunk man asked.  
  
”Nothin’, just here for some dancing time. Anywho, why are ya outside?”  
  
”Dunno, just felt like I needed some air. And here you are. And before you ask, yes, Buffy is inside, and so are Faith and the rest of the gang.”  
  
Willow grinned ”Great.” She stepped out of her car and locked it.   
  
Xander walked Willow to the table where all their friends sat.  
  
”Hey Will, took you long enough to get here.” Buffy said, her arm not moving away from where it was firmly placed, on her girlfriends neck.  
  
”I know. But I saved a life actually, so the round is on me.”  
  
”Bravo Will” Xander cheered ”So, I’m guessing this life you saved is a girl?”  
  
”Yeah. Why?”  
  
The short boy looked at his friend ”Because your smile hasn’t been like that since like for ever. And it can only mean one thing.”  
  
A brown haired girl finished Xander’s sentance ”Willow’s got a serious crush”

 

  
Willow turned around to face the woman.  
  
”Hey, Dana. Didn’t think I’d see you here. ” The redhead exclaimed happily  
  
  
”Same goes for you, sis. ” Answered the almost identical girl.  
  
  
”So, are you getting set in in that new apartement?” Willows twin sister asked.  
  
  
”Yeah, I still can’t believe that you paid for that apartement.”  
  
  
”Will, you needed it. Seriously. The old one was a wreck AND way to small for two.” Xander said, finally dragging his eyes away from a couple of girls he’d been checking out for a while.  
  
  
Buffy and her girlfriend had quietly snucked their way out to the dancefloor and were engaged in a heavy make-out session.  
  
  
”So, how’s stuff with Michael?” Willow asked, wondering how life went on for her sister.  
  
  
Michael was the husband of Dana, he and Dana had been married for three years, and Willow still remembered the huge grin that her sister had worn that day when she visited the redhead.   
  
  
”He’s doing great, has a new job, again.” Dana sighed. ”God knows he really can’t keep a job. But he’s being british about it. ” Dana grinned as her mind went to a naughty place that involved her, Michael and a british costume party.  
  
”Hey, speaking of nothing, where the heck is Faith? I thought you said she was here?” Willow exclaimed and looked around the club.  
  
  
  
”Well,” Xander started ”She was here. But I guess she hooked up with some chick and went home.”  
  
  
”Aw, poor Faith. She’s still trying to get over Buffy by picking up random girls.” Willow sighed, Faith was completely smitten by the blonde cop, but she tried to prove that she wasn’t by hooking up with everything that moves.  
  
  
  
Xander too felt sorry for his friend. ”You’d think Buffy would notice that one of her closest friends is completely, head-over-heels, inlove with her.”  
  
  
  
”No, not Buffy. It took her almost a year to figure out *I* was gay. And she herself was gayer than me.”  
  
  
  
”Sure Will, keep telling yourself that.” Xander attempted a joke.  
  
  
  
”Whatever, but I think I’ll have to call it a night. See ya Harris”  
  
  
  
”Bye Willster.” Xander hugged his almost-sister.  
  
  
”Oh, and Xander, remember to tell Amanda that I need my shedule changed back. These late nights are exhausting.” Willow stopped.   
  
  
”Plus, I really can’t be away from home during the nights.” Willow went on, really hoping the boy with a goldfish memory would remember to tell Amanda.  
  
  
”I know. And, I’ll tell Amanda first thing tomorrow.”   
  
On that note, Willow turned and left the club.   
  
A little talk with her friends was better than nothing, she thought as she once again sat down in her car and carefully started it.  
  
When she finally arrived home, she was so tired that she just passed out on the couch.  
  
*****  
  
Meanwhile, in a hospital bed, a girl lying there had thought happy thoughts about a girl with red hair, and gorgeous emerald green eyes before the darkness once again had caugh her in its claws.  
  
That girl in the bed was, as you know, Tara.  
  
The blonde thought and mentally hit herself over and over again.  
  
_But it wasn’t daddy who beat you up this time, was it? Oh, who am I kidding, thinking to myself like I’m someone else. It was my fault they beat me up, I know it was. All the beatings, all the wounds, I deserve them, and much more. That’s why they all wanna hurt me.._ > The blonde continued her ranting into the sleepless night.  
  
*****  
  
_  
BEEP BEEP_  
  
”Hey, this is Willow, leave a message.”  
  
”Hi, it’s Kate, I just wanted to know which time I should bring Jessie?”  
  
A sleepy Willow stands up and tries to go to the phone. She succedes, but poorly.  
  
”Hi Kate, I just woke up. But I heard you.”  
  
”Great. So, what time do you want me to bring Jessie?”  
  
”Is 2 PM okay?” Willow asked.  
  
”In two hours? Sure.” Kate lockley answered and hung up.  
  
Two hours..? Willow glanced at her clock on the kitchen table. 12 AM it said.  
  
”Okay..” She said. Suddenly, Willow remembered that she’d forgotten to clean the apartement and buy new groceries.  
  
  
Hurrying, she cleaned all the rooms and did the dishes. She went to the supermarket and bought new toothpaste among other things and as always, a little something for Jessie.  
  
Smiling, she looked at the clock again. 1:53 it said as she heard the bell ring.  
  
  
  
”Coming!” She shouted and ran to the door. She pressed the ‘open’ button for the door at the bottom floor, and opened her door aswell.   
  
  
Soon, she could hear footsteps in the staircase, and she knew it was Kate and Jessie.  
  
  
”Hey Willow” Kate said, smilingly.  
  
  
  
The little girl grinned widely as she shouted: ”Hi Mama, I missed you soooo much!” 

 

Jessie hugged her mother tightly and said ”Can I see my new room?”  
  
  
Willow nodded, and on that cue, the tiny redhead ran in to her room, knowing where it was because she had with a bright blue pencil written ‘Jessie's room’ on the door.  
  
  
”God I love that kid.” Kate Lockley exclaimed as she entered the pretty, but cheap apartement.  
  
  
”Yeah, it’s still hard to believe that she’s eight, almost nine years old. She’s so.. Well, tiny” Willow said, not fully grasping that her daughers ninth birthday was soon coming up, and even sooner Jessie would be fully grown and not even need Willow.  
  
”But she’s incredibly smart for her age.” Said Kate, proud of her niece.  
  
”Yeah, and her smile reminds me of..” Willow got quiet, grief filling her eyes.  
  
”I know you miss him Will, we all do. He was our best friend.”  
  
  
Willow looked at the blonde, ”I know, I still feel like I did Jesse wrong, I knew he liked me and I acted on it.”  
  
”Willow, look at me. You were sixteen, you had just come out to your parents, and they really didn’t take it well. It’s. Not. Your. Fault He. Died. Get that in your thick skull.”  
  
// ”No, you, my daugher, are not, and most certainly NOT a lesbian.” An angry man shouted through the living room.  
  
A sixteen year old girl was soaked in tears that had begun to fall when she’s seen her moms sickened expression.   
  
”Willow, dear, you can’t be gay. It’s just a phase, or some way of getting attention. You just need to kiss the right boy.” Shelia Rosenberg said to her daughter.  
  
”W-what?” Willow drowned in her salty tears ”But, mom. I thought you would understand. You of all people.”  
  
  
”Willow, of course I wouldn’t understand. I don’t. Just take a walk and get over it.” Her mom had said.  
  
And that’s what the girl did.  
  
  
She walked the streets of LA at 11PM, all alone. Suddenly she noticed her friend, Jesse.  
  
This was it, she could prove to herself that she once and for all wasn’t gay. Willow knew Jesse was inlove with her, but for some reason this night, she didn’t think about his feelings. Not even for a second.  
  
  
”Hi Jesse.” She said to the boy. Jesse’s grin was up to his ears as he and Willow walked to his place.  
  
  
They spent the night in his bed, doing things, and Jesse never wondered why Willow all of the sudden was intrested in him. He just enjoyed the moment.  
  
  
To Willow on the other hand, she hadn’t liked the sex part at all. It felt weird, and afterwards she felt dirty and ashamed, like she had used Jessie. Which by the way, she sort of had.  
  
  
Unfortunately, Jesse, was one week later kidnapped, killed and dumped in a river. That’s why Willow ever became a cop, but Jesse wouldn’t ever know that, or the fact that Willow was pregnant, with his child. //  
  
  
Dragged out of her thoughts, Willow responded ”Thank’s. But it still feels like it’s my fault.”  
  
Kate sighed, ”Damn, you’re worse than Dana.”  
  
Willow blinked. ”You are joking, right?”  
  
”Uh, no.” The police officer said.   
  
”Oh, come on!” Willow pouted ”It’s bad enough everyone called me Dana number two in kindergarden because we looked just like each other.”  
  
  
”Will, you still look like each other.”  
  
  
”Well, rub it in why don’t ya.” Willow said, wiping away fake tears.   
”But Dana has long curly brown hair, and I have medium lenght red hair. Not that alike if you think about it.”  
  
  
”Whatever.” Kate sighed, when the redhead had her resolve face on there was nothing to argue about.   
  
  
”MAMA!” A tiny yet strong voice called.  
  
  
”What is it baby girl?”  
  
  
”I forgot Miss Kitty at Kitty's!!” The girl shouted, Kate being called Kitty was one of the many quirks the little girl posessed.

”Aw munchkin’, ” Kate said. ”You know what? I’ll drive home and get it for you. I’ll be back before you know it.  
  
The redheaded girl’s eyes sparkled with joy. ”Yay!” Jessie shouted as she tugged her mothers shirt, asking for permission to watch TV.  
  
”Sure baby girl. A movie or just TV?”  
  
”Just TV.” The girl answered smugly, her mother being completely oblivious to what she watched on TV and why. ”You can go sit in your room and write the things that you write sometimes, okay mama?”  
  
  
  
”Well, okay.” Willow answered, remembering her conversation with Tara. And the mentioning of facebook. ”If you want something, you know where to find me.”   
  
  
  
As Willow said that, Jessie disappeared into the livingroom. The redheaded cop opened the door to her room, and pressed the on button to her old yet fashionable computer.   
  
  
  
The button glowed in a bright blue colour as the computer screen said ”Welcome to Windows 98”   
  
  
Willow heard soft giggles from the living room and suddenly it struck her.   
  
  
Meanwhile, a tiny redhead was watching TV. But not any TV-show, this evil little eight year old rule-breaker was watching a show her mother had strictly forbidden her of watching because it gave her nightmares and crazy ideas.   
  
The girl thought while grinning sheepishly.   
  
The TV-shows name was Sarah The Vampire Slayer.  
  
And the reason for Jessie not being allowed to watch Sarah The Vampire Slayer was because she had gotten a huge fear of well almost everything, being afraid that her nightmares would come through and that the world always was about to end.  
  
  
  
Jessie laughed at all the jokes, even though she didn’t understand them. The only real reason she watched the show was because of Charisma.   
  
Charisma was, obvious to everyone but Willow, Jessie’s first crush. The girl thought as she sighed.  
  
That Charisma was a bitch extraordinarie didn't Jessie understand. She just enjoyed looking at her.  
***  
  
”Jessie, it’s lunch time!” Willow called softly and waited for her daugher to get to the kitchen table.  
  
  
"Okay mama." The girl called and ran into the kitchen.   
  
"So, baby girl-" Willow was interrupted by her daughers voice.  
  
"Stop calling me baby girl, I'm eigh years old you know! And I'm already in the fifth grade!!" The girl exclaimed proud and annoyed by the fact that her mother thought she was little.   
  
"I know, should I call you 'big girl' then?"  
  
"Yes." The girl muffled, her mouth stuffed with pork and potatoes.  
  
"Well," The redhead smirked. "If you're a big girl you can have two whole carrots."  
  
Jessie gulped, and took two carrots on her plate. And to Willows suprise, the girl finished her whole plate.  
  
  
After a nice lunch, Kate finally arrived, with a stuffed toy-cat and to Jessie's joy, Nathalia.   
  
  
Nathalia was Kate Lockley's daughter, who just had turned five this month.  
  
"Hi Natha, wanna see my new room?"   
  
The shy girl nodded and took Jessies hand as she followed Jessie to her room.  
  
  
  
To other people Nathalia seemed weird, because she wouldn't speak when she was in the company of grown ups other than her mother.   
  
  
This had been very hurtful for Nathalia's dad, since he couldn't begin to understand why his own daughter didn't want him to push her in the trolley, or tell him what she'd done in pre-school.   
  
  
The truth was just that Nathalia was a bit more sensative than others, and just needed more help and support than the average kids her age.   
  
But, however, the few moments when Nathalia was happy enough to come out and play, she always wanted to play with Jessie. Those moments made the Jessie feel very special and chosen.  
  
  
Kate smiled proudly at her daughter who finally had come out to do something else than just eat or get hugs from her mommy.  
"Is it okay if I let her be here for a while?"  
  
"Of course. I know she adores Jessie. Jessie is like a big sister to her."  
  
"I know what you mean. You know, If I remember correctly we were kind of just like that. Remember when you, me, Xander and Jesse used to play in our treehouse?"  
  
"Yeah, that was fun." Willow said.  
  
  
The two friends sat down and had a coffee, watched their children play with Willow's uniform.  
  
That day went really fast, and that day became two days, and soon, a two weeks had passed.  
  
Without Willow hearing anything from Tara.   
  
It was in the middle of May, Jessie was in school and Willow had a day of when the redhead noticed a friend request on facebook.  
  
A girl named Tara Maclay wanted to add her on facebook.

 

Willows face beamed as she quickly accepted the request, while giving a quick glance to the girls adorable profile picture.  
  
  
Without the bruises Tara was even prettier than WIllow imagined, and her eyes were as blue as the ocean.  
  
  
  
Suddenly, Willow noticed that Tara was online, the redhead thought for a minute about writing something to her, but she took to long, because Tara had alreade written something.  
  
  
Tara Maclay: Hi!    
  
Willow Rosenberg: Hi Tara, feeling better?  
  
Tara Maclay: Yes, I just got out yesterday, the doctors were all ‘Stay another day, and another day’ If I hadn’t said something I bet they’d had me there forever.    
  
Willow Rosenberg: Oh, glad you’re okay though.    
  
Tara Maclay: Thank you. You’re the first friend I’ve made since I moved here. You are my friend right? *worried*  
  
Willow Rosenberg:  Yes, you should know that I’m very friendly, and I’d really like to be it, your friend that is.    
  
Willow Rosenberg: You’ve just experienced my babble. I do that sometimes. If it annoys you let me know.    
  
Tara Maclay: No, I think it’s kind of cute that you do it when you write too. I stutter a lot, so I know what it feels like when people think you’re annoying.  
  
  
Willow Rosenberg: Okay :/ Hey, not to be all intrude-y but how come you were all beaten up in an alley?  
  
  
Tara Maclay: Well, for starters I was outside way to late, and I just bumped in some teens who wanted me to buy alcohol for them and when I said no, they kind of started to take out their anger on me.  
  
Willow Rosenberg:  Bastards! I’m sorry!  
  
Tara Maclay: Don’t be sorry for me, I’m used to it.  
  
Tara Maclay: Forget I said that.  
  
  
(five minutes later)  
Tara Maclay: Hello? Where’d you go?  
  
Tara sighed  _  
  
_ But, she was dragged out of her dark thoughts by a little ‘pling’ noise. _  
  
  
_ Willow Rosenberg: Sorry, my daughter Jessie’s teacher just called, she’s sick and I have to go pick her up from school.  
  
  
Tara Maclay: Oh, I’m sorry. Hope she gets better! Bye!  
  
  
Willow Rosenberg: Bye!  
  
Willow Rosenberg is offline.  
  
  
  
Willow beamed, happy to finally have talked to Tara. (In a writing way)  
  
The redhead walked to her car, unlocked it and sat down. Just then the worry over Jessie flushed over her like a hundred feet wave on a beach as she drove to her daughters school.  
  
  
Jessie was almost never sick, and when she was, you barely could tell that she was.  
  
Five minutes later, Willow stepped out of her car and walked to the entrance of the Clover Avenue Elementary school.  
  
  
Outside there were some kids playing ball, and a few were climbing in tree’s as the school bell called in for class, again. Sighing, the children walked in.  
  
  
Willow watched this as she opened a door and walked inside, to pick her daugher up.  
  
  
She knocked at one of the doors, and a teacher opened. ”Hi miss Rosenberg, Jessie is over here. Jessie, your mom is here.”  
  
  
Jessie smiled groggily as she said ”Hi mama, can we go home now?”  
  
  
”Yes sweetheart.” Willow took her daughters hand and lead her out to the car.   
  
”Want me to put your seatbelt on?” The tiny redhead nodded.   
  
  
”Okay baby girl, we’re going to drive home now. Tell me if you’re feeling sick or yucky in your tummy, okay?”  
  
But the redhead didn’t answer, she was already sound asleep. That’s why Jessie didn’t notice when her mother quietly carried her up to the third floor and put her in her to bed.  
  
  
”Sleep tight baby girl” Willow whispered as she snucked into her own room.  
  
Glancing at her computer, she decided to go on facebook for a while.  
  
And immedately, Tara said hi.  
  
Willow Rosenberg: Hi Tara. Again.. Heh heh  
  
Tara Maclay: Is your daughter all right?  
  
Willow Rosenberg: Yeah, she’s sleeping now though, but I guess she’ll be almost fully restored tomorrow already.  
  
Tara Maclay: That’s good. I have to say, I didn’t take you for a person with a kid. Not that I thought there was anything wrong with you, cause I didn’t.  
  
Willow Rosenberg: Heey, look who’s babbling now!   
  
Tara Maclay: lol.   
  
Willow Rosenberg: Hey, not to seem all stalker-y, but where do you live? You said you hadn’t made so many friends and I just assumed you just moved in here so I just wanted to know.  
  
Tara Maclay: If you can say that much in real life without a break I’ll give you a buck. And yes, I just moved here. I live near Maestro’s pizza parlor, Hamilton street. and you?   
  
Willow Rosenberg: No way, I live at Hamilton street too! Which building?  
  
  
Tara Maclay: 32, u? _  
  
_ Willow Rosenberg: 39!!  We live pretty close. How come we’ve never met?  
  
  
Tara Maclay: Dunno, maybe we have and didn’t notice.  
  
  
Willow Rosenberg: Hell no, there’s no way I walked past you without noticing your eyes.  
  
  
Tara Maclay: My eyes? *confused*  
  
  
Willow Rosenberg: They’re so.. Pretty. And really blue!  
  
  
Tara Maclay: Thank u  Crap, my computer session is over in five minutes.  
  
  
Willow Rosenberg: Computer session?  
  
  
Tara Maclay: I’m at the library, I don’t own a computer. And I can just sit one hour per day.  
  
  
Willow Rosenberg: Okay. Hey, I could call you. Do you have a cellphone?  
  
  
Tara Maclay: Yeah. My phone-number is 073-65-875-23.  
  
  
Willow Rosenberg: Okay   
  
  
Tara smiled, she finally had a friend. She just hoped that when, and if, she told her some stuff about her past that she wouldn’t scare the girl off.  
  
Finally, after what seemed like for ever, Tara’s phone started vibrating.  
  
”Hey s-stranger” Tara answered confidently.  
  
”Hi Tara.” Willow said quietly, shyness getting the best of her. ”So, what have you been up to today?”  
  
  
”N-nothing much, just r-reading all day, a-almost all day.” She corrected herself.  
  
  
”Sounds nice. I used to read tons of books every day, but now I can’t seem to find the time to do that. Well, unless you count the thousands of children’s books that I’ve read.”  
  
  
Tara chuckled lightly and Willow could sense her smiling. ”So Tare, is it okay if I call you that?” Willow asked, followed by a quick ”Y-yes.”   
  
”So, I was wondering if you maybe wanted to come over for a coffee or something, seeing as we live so close. Unless you have some kind of germ fear, since Jessie is sick, but you already know that so I’ll just shut my mouth now, okay?.”  
  
Tara giggled. ”Wow, how c-can you t-talk that much w-w-without taking any brakes?”  
  
”I took ’babbling like an idiot’ 101 in college, got an A+” Willow joked.  
  
”O-okay.” Tara smiled, Willow was one special girl. ”And y-yes, I’d love to c-come. Should I come now or..?” The blonde girl asked.  
”Sure, I live in apartement number 14 on the third floor.”  
  
  
”Okay, bye” Tara’s grin was up to her ears, she was gonna go over to Willow’s place.  
  
It hadn’t taken a long time for Tara to melt the fact that Willow had a daughter, because Tara really adored kids.  
  
  
The blonde speculated about what Willow would be if she got to know her more, as she walked the short way to Willow’s place.  
  
  
She took the stairs up to the third floor, because her childhood fear of riding in elevators got the best of her this time. There was no mistaking in which door that belonged to Willow, obviously it was the one with a welcome sign that said ”Here live Willow Rosenberg and Jessica Rosenberg”  
  
Huh, Jessica must be Jessie’s full name.  
  
Tara knocked at the brown wooden door three times, and ten seconds later the gorgeous redhead opened the door, and once again green emerald eyes met the blue sapphire ones.'  
**  
  
”H-hi Willow” Tara stammered, as Willow took her hand and lead her to the kitchen.  
  
”So Tara..” Willow said, not liking the awkward silence at all. ”What do you like it in LA so far?”  
  
”W-well, I haven’t exactly been m-miss go-out-and-find-out, but from w-what I’ve s-seen it s-s-seems l-like a nice town. Way b-bigger than Sunnydale anyway.”  
  
Willow choked on her coffee ”Er, did you say Sunnydale?”  
  
Tara giggled at Willows small outburst. ”Y-yes. Why?”  
  
”It’s just, my grandmother lives there, and I’ve been there a few times. It’s kind of creepy there, in the middle of the night.”  
  
”Y-yeah. Though, m-my d-d-d-dad wouldn’t l-let me g-go out to d-do anything but g-go to school. If I w-w-was t-ten minutes late he-he’d get r-really angry with me.” Tara whispered the last words, completely embarrased over her stutter, and slightly confused over why she felt so comfortable around the redhead.  
  
”I’m sorry. Your dad seems like a total prick. Unless he isn’t and then I’m really sorry for calling your dad a prick.”  
  
”Don’t be. My d-dad he can get very angry.. I don’t really like to talk about it.”  
  
  
”Well, if it in some twisted way makes you feel better, the longest talk I had with my so-called parents was about getting an A- in school because I was sick for a whole week and didn’t have the time to study. Did I mention that happened when I was eleven? So I don’t have the whole daughter-parent bond either. Not to mention that my parents still haven’t talked to me at all since I got pregnant with Jessie.” Willow said, and breated heavly after saying that much.  
  
”Wow. You know, I’m already g-getting used to your babble. Your parents don’t seem like the cuddle kind either. So what happened when they stopped talking to you? I mean, how old is Jessie anyway?”  
  
”She’s.. eight going on nine.” Willow whispered, embarrased and completely certain that Tara would realize what whore the redhead was.  
  
”And you are..?”  
  
”25.”  
  
”That means you were sixteen when you got pregnant. A-and they s-stopped talking to you?! That’s s-sick.”  
  
”Yeah, they didn’t just do that, they threw me out. I lived with my best friend Kate after that. Dana, my twin sister, was so scared after that happened. We were so close, and then I just wasn’t there anymore. Dana couldn’t take it. She..” Willow got quiet and stared at nothing.  
  
Tara tried to ease her new friend, and carefully touched her hand. They both noticed the spark that shot right though them at that subtle touch, and Tara looked up in Willow’s green eyes. ”S-sorry.” She said and removed her hand.  
  
Willow smiled a little and whispered ”Don’t be.” She raised her voice a bit, and continued talking.   
  
  
”So. Dana, she, she tried to kill herself. And Mom, she didn’t even tell me. I found out when I read the newspaper a week after, the police had sent a girl to a clinic because she tried to jump infront of a car.” Willow sobbed quietly. ”I’m so stupid. Crying over something that happened years ago to a person I barely know. You must think I’m the weirdest girl ever.”  
  
  
Tara sighed sadly, she was once again reminded by something sad. She looked at Willow and said ”No. You just have been though a lot.” She looked in Willow’s gorgeous and teary eyes again. ”And so have I.”  
  
Willow smiled sadly at Tara <she’s definetely="" something="" special.="">  
  
”Anyway, I ran to the hospital, and I had to be strong, for Dana. So I didn’t cry. A month before that our best friend, Jesse, was killed. Murdered by some sick guy that liked to kill people. And it was all my fault. But I didn’t cry. I never cried. Big girls don’t cry. Until now. Godess, I’m pathetic.” Willow sobbed even more.  
  
”N-no Willow, no. You said it yourself, you haven’t cried over it yet. You have to let it out. All the grief. You’ve been holding it inside for nine years. You have to let it all out.” Tara was suprised she only stuttered once. Willow was too, and infact a part of her felt a little proud.  
  
”Hey, who left and made you my shrink?” Willow attempted to joke to show Tara she was alright, but she failed miserably.  
  
”I’m a phsych major. My biggest dream as a kid was to be able to read people, tell their feelings. And then to be able to help them.”  
  
Willow smiled, she had stopped crying now, ”That’s sure a big dream for a kid.”  
  
”Yeah, I dreamt about that every night, b-because then I might have been able to save my mommy.” Tara said, in a childlike voice.  
  
”Tara.. Did your mother commit suicide?”  
  
”Y-yes” Tara said between sniffles. ”Godess, we really are pathetic. Me anyway.”  
  
”Yeah.” Willow said ”We’re one pathetic bunch.”  
  
They continued talking, for what seemed like hours but was indeed just one hour, and whenever a hard memorie came up, comforted each other.  
  
When Willow finally let everything out, a tiny redhead perked up and asked ”Mama.. Why you crying?” The girl looked sleepily at Tara ”Who you?”  
  
Willow raised her head, and looked at her daughter, and then the clock on the kitchen wall. ”Hey big girl, mama was just thinking about stuff that happened a long time ago. And this is Tara, she’s mama’s friend.”  
  
Jessie grinned sleepily. ”Oh, okay. Mama, do we have mecation at home? I have an owie in my whole body.”  
  
Willow smiled. ”Medication sweetie, and I don’t know. Lemme check the cupboard.” Willow walked to the cupboard and opened it. ”Sorry sweetie, we don’t have any.”  
  
”But my head hurts!” Jessie whined, couldn’t her mommy understand that?  
  
”Can you go buy it for me?” She asked, in a tiny voice  
  
Willow looked at Jessie, and then at Tara. ”Tara, I know this is way to much to ask for, but-”  
  
”Of course I could watch her while you go and buy some meds for her.”  
  
Willow beamed, Tara was really helpful. ”Thank you, I owe you one big.”  
  
The redhead took her keys and stepped out the door, leaving a sick Jessie with Tara.  
  
”H-hi.” Tara smiled shyly.  
  
  
”Hi!” Jessie firmly shook Tara’s hand. ”I’m Jessica Elizabeth Johanna Rosenberg. But everyone just calls me Jessie.”  
  
Tara giggled. ”I’m Tara Maclay. So, you have an owie in your head huh?”  
  
”Yea. It really hurts.” Jessie flinched at the pain.  
  
”I used to have really many owies, everywhere. And they hurt really much too, and do you know what I did to make them not hurt as much?”  
  
”No, tell me!” The girl said curiously and grinned as much as she could.  
  
”I thought really happy thoughts about my mommy, my friends and my family.”  
  
Except daddy. Tara, why are you lying to this little girl?   
  
You weren’t happy, you never were happy. A cold and dark voice echoed through Tara’s head. But this time Tara sufficated her bad thoughts.  _  
  
_

”H-hi Willow” Tara stammered, as Willow took her hand and lead her to the kitchen.

”So Tara..” Willow said, not liking the awkward silence at all. ”What do you like it in LA so far?”

”W-well, I haven’t exactly been m-miss go-out-and-find-out, but from w-what I’ve s-seen it s-s-seems l-like a nice town. Way b-bigger than Sunnydale anyway.”

Willow choked on her coffee ”Er, did you say Sunnydale?”

Tara giggled at Willows small outburst. ”Y-yes. Why?”

”It’s just, my grandmother lives there, and I’ve been there a few times. It’s kind of creepy there, in the middle of the night.”

”Y-yeah. Though, m-my d-d-d-dad wouldn’t l-let me g-go out to d-do anything but g-go to school. If I w-w-was t-ten minutes late he-he’d get r-really angry with me.” Tara whispered the last words, completely embarrased over her stutter, and slightly confused over why she felt so comfortable around the redhead.

”I’m sorry. Your dad seems like a total prick. Unless he isn’t and then I’m really sorry for calling your dad a prick.”

”Don’t be. My d-dad he can get very angry.. I don’t really like to talk about it.”

  
”Well, if it in some twisted way makes you feel better, the longest talk I had with my so-called parents was about getting an A- in school because I was sick for a whole week and didn’t have the time to study. Did I mention that happened when I was eleven? So I don’t have the whole daughter-parent bond either. Not to mention that my parents still haven’t talked to me at all since I got pregnant with Jessie.” Willow said, and breated heavly after saying that much.

”Wow. You know, I’m already g-getting used to your babble. Your parents don’t seem like the cuddle kind either. So what happened when they stopped talking to you? I mean, how old is Jessie anyway?”

”She’s.. eight going on nine.” Willow whispered, embarrased and completely certain that Tara would realize what whore the redhead was.

”And you are..?”

”25.”

”That means you were sixteen when you got pregnant. A-and they s-stopped talking to you?! That’s s-sick.”

”Yeah, they didn’t just do that, they threw me out. I lived with my best friend Kate after that. Dana, my twin sister, was so scared after that happened. We were so close, and then I just wasn’t there anymore. Dana couldn’t take it. She..” Willow got quiet and stared at nothing.

Tara tried to ease her new friend, and carefully touched her hand. They both noticed the spark that shot right though them at that subtle touch, and Tara looked up in Willow’s green eyes. ”S-sorry.” She said and removed her hand.

Willow smiled a little and whispered ”Don’t be.” She raised her voice a bit, and continued talking.

  
”So. Dana, she, she tried to kill herself. And Mom, she didn’t even tell me. I found out when I read the newspaper a week after, the police had sent a girl to a clinic because she tried to jump infront of a car.” Willow sobbed quietly. ”I’m so stupid. Crying over something that happened years ago to a person I barely know. You must think I’m the weirdest girl ever.”

  
Tara sighed sadly, she was once again reminded by something sad. She looked at Willow and said ”No. You just have been though a lot.” She looked in Willow’s gorgeous and teary eyes again. ”And so have I.”

Willow smiled sadly at Tara

”Anyway, I ran to the hospital, and I had to be strong, for Dana. So I didn’t cry. A month before that our best friend, Jesse, was killed. Murdered by some sick guy that liked to kill people. And it was all my fault. But I didn’t cry. I never cried. Big girls don’t cry. Until now. Godess, I’m pathetic.” Willow sobbed even more.

”N-no Willow, no. You said it yourself, you haven’t cried over it yet. You have to let it out. All the grief. You’ve been holding it inside for nine years. You have to let it all out.” Tara was suprised she only stuttered once. Willow was too, and infact a part of her felt a little proud.

”Hey, who left and made you my shrink?” Willow attempted to joke to show Tara she was alright, but she failed miserably.

”I’m a phsych major. My biggest dream as a kid was to be able to read people, tell their feelings. And then to be able to help them.”

Willow smiled, she had stopped crying now, ”That’s sure a big dream for a kid.”

”Yeah, I dreamt about that every night, b-because then I might have been able to save my mommy.” Tara said, in a childlike voice.

”Tara.. Did your mother commit suicide?”

”Y-yes” Tara said between sniffles. ”Godess, we really are pathetic. Me anyway.”

”Yeah.” Willow said ”We’re one pathetic bunch.”

They continued talking, for what seemed like hours but was indeed just one hour, and whenever a hard memorie came up, comforted each other.

When Willow finally let everything out, a tiny redhead perked up and asked ”Mama.. Why you crying?” The girl looked sleepily at Tara ”Who you?”

Willow raised her head, and looked at her daughter, and then the clock on the kitchen wall. ”Hey big girl, mama was just thinking about stuff that happened a long time ago. And this is Tara, she’s mama’s friend.”

Jessie grinned sleepily. ”Oh, okay. Mama, do we have mecation at home? I have an owie in my whole body.”

Willow smiled. ”Medication sweetie, and I don’t know. Lemme check the cupboard.” Willow walked to the cupboard and opened it. ”Sorry sweetie, we don’t have any.”

”But my head hurts!” Jessie whined, couldn’t her mommy understand that?

”Can you go buy it for me?” She asked, in a tiny voice

Willow looked at Jessie, and then at Tara. ”Tara, I know this is way to much to ask for, but-”

”Of course I could watch her while you go and buy some meds for her.”

Willow beamed, Tara was really helpful. ”Thank you, I owe you one big.”

The redhead took her keys and stepped out the door, leaving a sick Jessie with Tara.

”H-hi.” Tara smiled shyly.

  
”Hi!” Jessie firmly shook Tara’s hand. ”I’m Jessica Elizabeth Johanna Rosenberg. But everyone just calls me Jessie.”

Tara giggled. ”I’m Tara Maclay. So, you have an owie in your head huh?”

”Yea. It really hurts.” Jessie flinched at the pain.

”I used to have really many owies, everywhere. And they hurt really much too, and do you know what I did to make them not hurt as much?”

”No, tell me!” The girl said curiously and grinned as much as she could.

”I thought really happy thoughts about my mommy, my friends and my family.”

Except daddy. Tara, why are you lying to this little girl?

You weren’t happy, you never were happy. A cold and dark voice echoed through Tara’s head. But this time Tara sufficated her bad thoughts.

”Tara.” The tiny girl tugged Taras shirt. ”It doesn’t hurt as much now!” The girl grinned. ”I like you. Wanna know a secret?”

Tara nodded at the girl, who was grinning sheepishly.

”My mama says I can’t watch this show on TV, and everytime she’s somewhere else.. I watch it!!” The girl said, her expression completely serious, as if that was the most evil thing that could be done.

And the most evil thing that could be done by Jessie was just that.

”Why aren’t you allowed to watch?” Tara quirked an eyebrow and smirked.

 

”Cause mama says it gives me bad dreams. But that’s so not true!!”

 

”Well, aren’t you a sneaky little girl then.”

 

”Promise you won’t tell mama!” Jessie looked at Tara with her biggest pouty face that she could manage to give while struggeling with the pain in her head.

  
Tara smiled genuinely ”I won’t. That’s a promise.”

  
The little redhead grinned. ”Good.” She yawned a little and to her happiness, Willow just walked through the door. ”I bring good ole’ chicken soup and meds to the princess Jessie.”

 

Jessie ran to hug her mommy. ”Yay!” She shouted and tugged her mothers shirt. Gimmie, gimmie. ”Now princess,” Willow looked over at Tara. ”She’s never wanted to take medicine on her own free will.” She looked at Jessie and gasped. ”Who are you and what have you done to my daughter?”

  
Jessie saw this moment as a time to joke, and so she said ”I ate her.”

 

”Well then, no soup for you then.”

  
”No mommy, it’s me Jessie!”

 

”Is it? Well, I better make your soup all warm and hot for you then. Do you wanna take the meds after or before dinner.”

 

The tiny girl thought for a minute, before her resolve face appeared and she decided. ”After. Otherwise the food’ll taste funky.”

 

Tara sat quietly on her chair, watching the bound between Jessie and Willow with amazement. She liked the way Willow’s flamy red hair bounced around when the redhead walked.. Wait. Was she still thinking about Willow’s hair?

  
”So Tara, do you want soup as too or can I make you something else? It’s dinner time you know.”

  
”Hmm. I think I’ll take some soup too. I love chicken you know.”

”You do?” Willow grinned. ”I do to!”  
”That’s n-nice.”

Willow noticed Tara’s stutter was back. Did she make the girl feel uncomfortable? Was she to nervous to say that she wanted to leave?

”Uh, Tare, If you wanna leave or something just tell me. It won’t offend me at all.”

  
”What makes you think I wanna leave? I like it here. N-not that I’m gonna be all weird and not leave at all. H-hey your b-babble is contagious.”

 

Willow grinned at Tara and took the bowl of soup in the microwave. ”Well, you were all fine one minute and the next you start stutter again. Not that it bothers me, it’s really cute. But I just thought-”

  
”That you offended me. No, I just got really nervous that I don’t wanna mess up because I finally have a friend. I haven’t really had a lot of friends. At all.”

 

”That sucks. So, here’s the soup. But Jessie, you’ll go straight to bed after eating, okay?”

  
”Okay mama.” Jessie said while eating the delicious soup.

  
”Here you go Tara.” Willow handed the plate to Tara. They sat down, and enjoyed a good lunch.

  
Jessie took her meds, and went to bed. Soon, Tara left.

 

”Bye.” Willow smiled, not knowing what to do.

 

”Bye.”

 

”Um, Tara.”

 

”Yes?”

 

”Er.. Nothing. I’ll call you.”

 

  
”O-okay.” Tara smiled, and kissed Willow’s cheek.

 

Willow blushed, and before she knew, Tara had closed the door and was gone.

 

  
She touched her cheek, the spot where Tara’d kissed her was still warm and wet.

  
The redhead beamed, and decided that she’d go to bed. She had nothing much to do anyway, since she was taking a day off tomorrow to be with Jessie.

 

  
Willow woke up by the irritating sound of her alarm, she struggeled to keep her eyes open as she the phone buttons to turn the alarm off. She loooked at her phone and saw the time, 07:00.

The redhead rose up from her bed and went to the kitchen.

While she made her coffee, she checked on Jessie. The little girl was sound asleep, mumbling random words.

  
As Willow drank her coffee, checked the mail and sighed over the bills her mind drifted of to a place peaceful and lovely. She thought about Tara, that the blonde had kissed her on her cheek.

Willow blushed at the thought and conteniued reading the mail.

Around 2 PM Jessie finally woke up, and silently shouted ”Mama, come!”

Willow went to her daughters room and opened the white door. ”Hey sweetie, what’s wrong?”

Jessie was in her bed, the covers pulled tightly over her face. She was laying there, shivering and gritting her teeth.

”I-I had a b-bad dream!” She said with a scared voice and looked up at her mommy.

  
”Aw.” Willow sat down next to her daughter. She carefully touched Jessie’s forehead ”Ouch, you’re burning up. What was your bad dream about?”

”There was a mean bear, and he, he spat fire out of his mouth and he tried to serve us as dinner to the evil bunnies!” Jessie said and looked worriedly around the room.

Willow always had trouble not to laugh over the girl imaginative dreams. ”Don’t worry Jess, there aren’t any dangerous bears or bunnies in here. I promise. Do you wanna eat something?”

Jessie thought for a while. ”Sure, can I have a pop tart?”

”I don’t think we have any, what about cereal?”

”Okay..” The tiny redhead said and wanished to the kitchen.

She opened the cupboard and took out a bowl, then took a spoon from the top drawer.  
After that she opened the fridge, and soon she realised that there wasn’t any milk left. ”MOOM!!” She screamed.

”What is it Jessie?!” Willow said while coming rushing through the door.

”We don’t have any milk.” The girl said calmly.

  
”Is that all?” Willow asked. ”Gee, I thought you were on fire. Okay, can you be alone for ten minutes?”

”I wanna come with.” Jessie said, tugging her mothers worn out t-shirt.

”But sweetie, you barely have the energy to stand up, let alone to come along to the store.”

”I. Wanna. Come. With.” The girl said, her resolve not going away.

”Fine Jessie, but I won’t let you buy anything. We’re just going there for milk, okay?”

”Okay.” The girl answered smugly.

Willow grinned at her daughters smug grin. ”Just milk Jessie.”

Jessie sighed and put on her shoes and jacket ”Whatever.”

******

”Jessie, the milk is this way.”

”I know.” The girl said, turning to face her mother. ”But the pop tarts aren’t that way.” She said, grinning.

”Jessie, are you even sick?” Willow asked, though she knew her daughter never was sick more than half a day, and then could wanna go to the park and play.

”Hey, you’re the one who said that. Not me.” Jessie whispered and walked next to her mother. Willow didn’t see the person infront of her, and accidentally bumped into the woman.

”Oh I’m so sorry-” Willow said, only to be interrupted by the exact same words, only smoother and gentler.

”Hi Tara, small world huh?” Willow said, her whole body confusingly warm.

”Y-yeah,” She looked at Jessie. ”Out shopping w-with the little patient?”

”Yep. Only the patient just followed because she thought she’d get a pop tart.”

Jessie blushed, but then thought of a plan. ”And I will because mama loves me.”

Willow grinned. ”And you love me, so you’ll eat all your veggies today too?”

”Yes.”

”Well then, go get a pop tart.”

”Yay!” Jessie said, and ran off to get the famous pop tart.

”Kids are s-so cute.” Tara said and smiled, while looking in Willow’s green eyes.

”Yeah.”

”So, um I was going to c-call you b-but, I wanted to ask if m-maybe you wanted to go out for coffee? Since we n-never had that coffee you offered me.”

Willow grinned. ”Yes! Er, I mean sure, yeah since I promised you a coffee. But that means the coffee is on me. Shall we say four PM tomorrow?”

”Um, okay.”

”Well, you can swing by my place since I don’t know where you live. Oh look, here comes the pop tart lover with milk and a pop tart, that means I’m gonna go pay. Bye Tara.” Willow said and pulled her in for a hug.

”Bye Will.” Tara said and watched Willow go to the three or less line.

”Mama, can I ask you something?”

”Yeah.”

”Do you like Tara?”

Willow was put off by the girls question but answered honestly. ”I think so.”

”Okay, because she’s nice. And if you like her, that’s okay with me. Are you gonna go on a date with her?”

”What makes you think that?” Willow asked.

”Because Simon in my class said that when you go out for coffee with someone, then it’s a date.”

 

Willow looked at the ___, she said ”2.50 please.”

The redhead pulled up a 5 dollar bill from her ______ and gave it to the ____.

She took the change, and with Jessie walked to the car again.

When she drove home she kept thinking about her might-be-a-date with Tara.

******

Tara was holding a bag full of groceries and had just unlocked her door. She put the food in the fridge and sank down in the couch.

 

 

Tara went in to her room, she glanced quickly at one of the photos. It contained a picture of a woman in her mid twenties holding a little baby in her arms. The woman looked so happy, and so innocent.

Tara whispered with a childlike voice as tears formed in her eyes. ”I miss you mommy, why did you have to leave?”

Tara was drawn out of her mourning by the sound of her phone calling. She quickly answered it.

”Hey yo girl, you still playin’ at the bronze tonight?”

”I think s-so, are you sure they’ll like me?”

”Well duh, of course everyone will T. And I’ll introduce you to the whole gang. Both my friendly friends and the music crew. Just for the record, half of them are gay. You can try your luck on anyone of them except for Buffy.”

”Buffy isn’t even your girlfriend.”

”So? A woman can dream. Now my dear friend, get your tight arse down here, we need to practice.”

”Remind me of how we ever managed to meet AND become friends?”

”Well, you were at the bronze two weeks ago and ya were all broody, so I bought you a drink and we started chatting. And believe me, from what I’ve heard, your voice rocks.”

”You were drunk then!”

”Whatever, now get down here.”

And with that Faith hung up.

Tara sighed and walked out of her apartement, locked the door and walked over to the bronze.

It wasn’t a long walk, about three blocks, but still every second felt like a year. Tara couldn’t wait for her might-be-a-date with Willow, she needed to see her now.

But still, she couldn’t, she had to work.

When Tara had moved to LA, she had no job credits, experience of working or anything else. But when she’d almost given up, she was at the bronze, and one thing lead to another and soon she was with Faith’s band.

She just really hoped Faith’s friends would like her aswell. The music crew was nice, Oz, Deuce, Leah and Faith were awesome people to hang out with, and she really enjoyed hanging with them. But still, they weren’t her friends, they were Faith’s friends.

 

Somewhere inside Tara a unsensative little thing smirked at Tara’s belief in that some people were nice, and actually could help.

Finally, Tara was at the bronze, she opened the door and was greeted by Faith’s comment. ”Hey blondie, took ya long enough. So, you up for the practice? Leah has got some new songs she’d like to try out. So you’ll sing one duet or whatever it’s called with Leah, and then one by your self, and then you’ll sing with the band, okay?”

”m’kay, what songs?” Tara asked, and Faith told her all of the songs.

***

”Jessie, I’m going out with a few friends, so Kate will babysit you, okay?”

”I don’t need a babysitter.” Jessie pouted, but was happy about it and hoped Kate would bring Nathalia.

”I know, but guess what?”

”Auntie Kate will bring Natha?” The girl asked, her expectations high.

”Of course she will, Jess” Willow responded, and just in that second, the door bell rang.

Willow opened it, and a tiny girl ran in to hug Jessie.

”Hey Will, Nathie was real happy when you called, she thought she was gonna be at practice all day long. I tried to explain that piano practice only is one or two hours, but she wouldn’t get it. Also I get it that she is a bit sick?”

”Yep. She was really sad about not getting to go to practice, but she cooled up when I told her that she gets to go tomorrow.”

”That’s nice, so she doing alright with practice?”

”I.. Honestly, I don’t know.” Willow sighed and went on. ”I’ve been so busy, with work and stuff that I haven’t been to a single practice this year. I just drop her off and pick her up. I haven’t had the time at all. But I’m buying her a keyboard for her birthday, so then she’ll get to play a lot and I will listen.” The redhead said, hoping that it would happen.

”Will, that’s a great idea! Did you know she sat for two hours straigh playing the piano at my house? She’s Incredible. She can play the whole eight symphony with both hands. That would make Mozart quake in his non fashionable shoes. I still can’t play that one, but an eight year old can.”

”She can WHAT?!” Willow was astauned, she needed, no she was going to pay way more attention to her daughter. ”Oh boy. Maybe I should take her to the bronze and let her play with Faith’s band.”

”Isn’t Faith’s band called Blood, guts and death?”

”Yeah.. Good point. Still don’t get the name. They sing everything from love songs to ballades, and sometimes hard rock and screamo. They do everything and still pick that name.”

Kate rolled her eyes at Willows cunfusion with everything. ”Maybe they wanted to make you late. Now get the hell outta here.”

”Okay, bye. Jessie, I’ll be back at ten, bye sweetie!” Willow shouted through the small, yet large apartement.

  
”Bye mama!” Jessie shouted back.

  
Willow made her way out to her car and started it. While driving to the bronze she thought about her date with Tara tomorrow afternoon.

 

Willow parked the car and walked in to the Bronze. She saw the gang sitting at a table.

 

Willow greeted her friends and her non-friend.”Hi Buffy, Hey Xand, Melissa.” The redhead spat out the name through gritted teeth.

With a fake and confused expression Melissa said ”Er, hi. What’s got you so grumpy?”

”Oh you know what’s got me ’so grumpy’ ”

Buffy chose that moment of time to cut in. ”Hey, tension you can cut with a knife. Cut it out. Willow, come over here.” Buffy dragged Willow to the ladies room.

”What is the matter with you?!” Buffy asked angrily, and demanded an answer.

”Nothing.”  
”Don’t go nothing on me, Will. Why do you hate Melissa? What’s she ever done to you?”

  
”It’s not what she’s done to me.” Willow sighed. ”It’s what she’s doing to you.”

”What is she doing to me that’s so bad?!” Buffy yelled, almost guessing what Willow was going to say.

”You don’t want it from me. Ask her.”

”Whatever Will, I really don’t get you.” Buffy said, and left the bathroom.

When she opened the door, she found Melissa flirting with the waitress, and a very uncomfortable Xander.

Buffy sneaked her way and stood behind the ebony haired girl, just close enough to hear her say.

”So gorgeous, you free this saturday?”

Buffy was about to cry. She felt her lips tremble as a tear rolled down her cheek.

Melissa had said that she had some important meetings this weekend, and that’s why she’d cancelled their plans. But she was going on dates with random girls.

  
Just then Willow walked out, just to see Buffy looking at the seuductively smirking Melissa, while tears rolled down the blondes face.

  
Melissa waved goodbye to the waitress, and at that moment Buffy sat at the table.

”Hey.” Melissa grinned. ”It usually takes you longer in the ladies room, but whatever.”

”That’s all you got?” Buffy answered, and she was this close from completely breaking down in tears.

  
”What do you mean?”

  
”Don’t do that. I heard you.”

”Buffy.. Heard what?” Melissa answered as if Buffy was crazy.

”Enough to know that you are a cheating manipulating bitch.”

”Huh?”

”Stop it, it makes you look like an idiot. I heard you flirting with that waitress.”

”I wasn’t.. Come on Xand, you were here. Tell her!” Melissa said, doing her best to hide her internal smirk.

”No. I’m not going to lie anymore. You are cheating on my best friend, and I think I speak for everyone when I say that we want you gone.”

”Xander.. You, you knew? Why didn’t you tell me?”

”Because she threatened to let Anya’s fingerprints wind up in the FBI database, and that they wouldn’t be there for a unpaid speed ticket.”

  
Buffy looked at Melissa, her hurt expression changed to angry. ”Melissa. Is this true? I really thought you loved me.”

”Baby, I do!” Melissa yelled, a little to loud.

”No. No one loves me. I thought I could trust you, but I can’t. I want you out of my life, and you better never, ever talk to us again.”

Melissa faked a hurt expression and said. ”Fine. Bye losers.” And with that she left.

Just on that cue, as if they were trying to help, one of the artists started playing.

”Okay, names Spike, and this is for all the lovely ladies out there!” The spikey haired man shouted throughout the bar.

He played his guitar and started singing.

Buffy was silently crying, and hoped no one of her friends saw her showing that she was weak.

Back stage, the band Blood, guts and death were getting ready to play their new songs.

Faith had been fixing the last of her guitar, when she heard Buffy saying.

”No one loves me.”

She smirked sadly,

”Faith, are y-you alright?” A blonde girl with blue eyes asked.

”Yeah T, come on. Spike is done, so it’s your turn.”

Willow sat quietly on her stool, watching Spike sing. When he was done, the cheers were so loud you might get deaf. Suddenly, the redhead noticed that a girl with blue eyes and those sapphire eyes was standing on the stage.

Willow tought, smilingly.

Tara was about to sing. She turned the microphone on and on that cue, the band started playing,

  
Willow melted when she heard Tara singing the song.

  
Why do birds suddenly appear  
Every time you are near?  
Just like me, they long to be  
Close to you

Why do stars fall down from the sky  
Every time you walk by?  
Just like me, they long to be  
Close to you

On the day that you were born the angels got together  
And decided to create a dream come true  
So they sprinkled moon dust in your hair  
Of golden starlight in your eyes of blue

That is why all the girls in town  
(Girls in town)  
Follow you  
(Follow you)  
All around  
(All around)  
Just like me, they long to be  
Close to you

On the day that you were born the angels got together  
And decided to create a dream come true  
So they sprinkled moon dust in your hair  
Of golden starlight in your eyes of blue

That is why all the girls in town  
(Girls in town)  
Follow you  
(Follow you)  
All around  
(All around)  
Just like me, they long to be  
Close to you  
Just like me, they long to be  
Close to you

(Why? Close to you)  
(Why? Close to you)  
(Haa, close to you)  
(Why? Close to you)

Willow sighed, Tara was indeed amazing.

She sat there with her friends, and listened to song after song, and finally, Faith’s band had played them all.

Faith, not knowing that Willow knew Tara, introduced them. Again.

  
”Hey B, Xand, Will. This is Tara, a new member in my band.”

”H-hi” Tara greeted them, casting shy glances at Willow.

”Hi Tara, really small world, huh?” Willow tried to joke away the awkward position she was in. Or thought she was in.

”You know, you were amazing when you sang Tara.”

”T-thanks.” Tara joined the table.

Xander was a bit confused. ”So, I take it you have already met?”

”Y-yeah. She k-kind of saved my life.”

”Oh, so you’re the girl Willow saved.” Buffy said, trying her best to sound normal.

Faith however, noticed something was wrong. ”Okay B, spill. What’s up?”

”I broke up with Melissa.”

”I’m so sorry B, why?”

”Because she is a cheating bitch and no one is ever gonna love me.”

”Aw B, don’t worry. I can swing by your place tomorrow and bring ice cream to heal your broken heart.”

”Thanks, you’re a great friend.” Buffy smiled.

  
Tara and Willow looked at each other, sensing the non platonic love between the two broken hearted friends.

They sat like that for a while, looking and smiling shyly at each other.

They were both so deeply lost in each other that they didn’t hear the loud music playing in the background.

  
They were both so deeply lost in each other that they didn’t hear the loud music playing in the background.  
  
After their long moment of gazing, Willow saw how late it was, and hurried to her car.  
  
Before Willow drove home, she heard Tara whisper ”can’t wait for our date tomorrow.”  
  
Willow beamed happily. It was a date.   
  
Tara on the other hand blushed when she noticed that the redhead had heard her. But thankfully, Willow started driving then.  
  
Tara giggled like a drunk school girl and went inside again.  
  
”Hey T, what’s up with you and Will?”  
  
”Nothing..” Tara said, way to busy mentally planning her date with Willow.  
  
”Real funny T. All ya did was look at that girl.”  
  
”So? I don’t have to bang everyone I look at you know. Not that I do it.”  
  
”I didn’t mean. I, I just meant..” Faith sighed. When did talking become hard? ”I just meant that if all you did was look at her and you are happy with it, then she must be really special.”  
  
”Yeah.”  
  
After a while of strangely enough, comfortable silence, Tara asked. ”Faith, what did it feel like when you met Buffy for the first time?”  
  
”It felt like I was flying. It felt like heaven. I felt like I could do anything I wanted and nothing would matter as long as I could keep looking at her. But if you really wanna know what It was like I have to tell you a long story.”  
  
” ’s okay, I have the time. Tell me.” Tara said, smiling.   
  
”Okay.” Faith leaned back and began.  
  
//  
I was new in at the junior high Buffy went to, and I stood there, shyly watching the teacher introduce me.  
”Okay class, I want you all to meet the new girl. Faith. Class, this is Faith Lehane, and she’s been transferred from Ohio.”  
”Hi.” The group of students said simultaneously, alost robot-like.  
  
I forced a small ”Hi.” back at them. As long as I could remember I’d never been in one school longer than half a term, my dad moved all the time.  
  
”Okay Faith, you can sit over there.” The teacher, Mr. Morris, said and pointed somewhere.  
  
My eyes drifted around, and finally found the empty seat. Or found the girl sitting next to it anyway. The girl was gorgeous. She had shoulder long hair tied up in an adorable pony-tail. Her red tank top was covered in paliette glitter, and her jeans fit her hot body perfectly.  
  
When I approached the seat next to hers, I felt like I was floating. She smiled at me and said ”Hi. I’m Buffy.” After that, she shook my hand.  
  
My skin was on fire. Her touch on mine felt like twenty times a sunburn, but all in a good and strange way.  
  
During class I looked at her a few times, her tounge peaking out whenever something in was hard. //  
  
”And from that day and until now, I’ve been inlove with Buffy.” Faith ended the story.  
  
Tara just sat there, her mouth opening and closing a few times. ”Wow.”   
  
”Yep. Wow pretty much sums it up. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to brood some more.”  
  
”Can’t you try cheering Buffy up instead? She looks pretty sad sitting over there all alone.”  
  
”Oh god, I left her there all sad and wounerable. Sorry T, but I gotta go cheer her up.” Faith said as she walked over to the bar seat where Buffy sat.  
  
”Didn’t I just say that?” Tara whispered in confusion.  
  
After a few boring minutes, she decided to go out.  
  
There was nothing like a walk underneath the enchanting moonlight.   
  
Tara quietly sat on a bench in the park, watching the stars with perplexion. The stars that made the night so bright, didn’t even exist anymore. By the time the light reached the earth, the stars were long dead. Poof, gone.  
  
Sighing, Tara headed home.  
  
  
  
*************************  
  
”I win!” A tiny redhead said as her blue eyes watched a tower of blocks fall apart.  
  
Willow faked a playfull gasp. ”No way!” The equally redheaded girl said ”Well then, it’s official. Jessica Elizabeth Johanna Rosenberg is the best Jenga player ever.” Willow finished the sentence, big emphasis on the ‘ever’.  
  
”Hey, look at the time. It’s time for you to get to your piano lesson.”  
  
Jessie smiled and clapped her hands. ”Yay!” She said, her voice excited and full of expectations.  
  
Jessie hadn’t been to her practice for a whole week, because she had been sick.   
  
The small, two-personed family headed for Willow’s car.  
  
When they were big with the driving, Jessie asked. ”Mama, why don’t I have a daddy? I learned in school today thow babies are made.”  
  
”Well Jessie, your daddy, the one that I made you with. He, he was sick.” Willow lied, not wanting her young daughter to know people could do such horrible things. ”He died before he knew that you existed.”  
  
”Do you think he would love me?”  
  
”I think he does. Who knows, maybe he’s up there in heaven watching over you.”  
  
  
Jessie smiled sadly, she would never get a daddy. Unless.. ”Mama, do you like Tara?”  
  
”Well yeah, she’s amazing.”  
  
”Do you really really like her?”  
  
”Yeah I really do. Why?” Willow wondered.  
  
”Dunno, just curious, is all.” Jessie said, but she indeed had a plan going on inside her head. If she in some way could make Willow and Tara to get together, Tara could be her daddy.   
  
Jessie thought, and had a mental argument.  
  
_< i’ll ask="" miss="" calendar,="" she’ll="" know="" how="" i’ll="" solve="" my="" problem.="" she="" always="" helps="" me="" with="" hard="" piano="" chords.="">  
_  
Willow watched her daughter frown a few times, then smile, and then frown again through the driving mirror.  
  
”Okay, Jess, we’re there.”  
  
”Alright mama.” Jessie quickly ran to the door and walked through the corridore. She knew every inch of the building inside-out.  
  
The building was an old concert hall, which wasn’t used anymore, but all instruments and rooms were still there, and well used by the students.  
  
Jessie opened a door that simply said. ”Piano room.”  
  
As the door opened, Willow came rushing behind her.  
  
”Jessie, don’t run off like that.” She said.  
  
Embarrassed, Jessie apologised. ”Sorry mama.”  
  
”Ah, There’s my favourite student. And her mommy. Okay Jessie, since you’re way ahead of everyone, you haven’t missed anything. But however, have you done your homework?”  
  
”Yes Miss Calendar. I know all the chords for the songs that we’re gonna play in the church.” Jessie said proudly.  
  
”Great.” Jenny smiled. ”Now, grab a seat and we’ll get started.”  
  
”Bye Jessie, I’ll pick you up in one and a half hour.  
  
  
”Bye!” Jessie said, and just as the door closed, she remembered to ask Jenny something.  
  
”Jenny.” She said calmly.  
  
”Yes dear?”  
  
”I have a problem.”  
”Well, does it have anything to do with music?”  
  
”No.” Jessie simply answered.  
  
”Okay, let’s here it then.”  
  
”You know how many kids have both a mommy and a daddy?” Jenny nodded. ”And I don’t have one, but I want a daddy. I want my family to be complete. And now there’s someone that mommy likes, and I really think that someone could be my daddy, but well, the problem is that she’s a girl. And she can’t be my daddy, can she?”  
  
Jenny wondered how Jessie coud say all that in once sitch, but quickly answered. ”Well, she can be your daddy in a way. But more like a mother.”  
  
”I don’t get it.”  
  
”You see, kids can have two mommies.”  
  
”But isn’t that unfair for all the other kids?”  
  
Jenny laughed at the girls concern for everyone. ”Jess, they have a daddy instead. I had two moms you know.”  
  
”Cool. I hope mama and Tara get together soon, because I want a daddy really bad.”  
  
”Okay Jessiebell.. But it’ll take time. If they really like each other, you have be patient. It can take months for them to get together, let alone years for them to get married.”  
  
”Married? Gross! I just want Tara to be my daddy.”  
  
”Why is marriage gross?”  
  
”Trevor in my school told me what married people do.” Jessie leaned in and whispered in Jenny’s ear. ”All they do is have sex.”  
  
Jenny was a bit put off, but quickly responded. ”Jessie, first of all, not just married people do that, and secondly, they don’t just do that.”  
  
”How do you know that?” Jessie said, not fully believing her teacher.  
  
”Well, I’m here aren’t I?”  
  
”Are you married?”  
  
”Yup. Been married to my beloved Rupert for ten years now.”  
”Okay, I believe you. So marriage is a no-gross?”  
  
”Yes. Now start working. You have to know the song fully if you are going to sing and play it in infront of everyone at your school.”  
  
”Yea. Thank you for giving me the solo spot!” Jessie exclaimed.  
  
”Well, you’re welcome. Now get working young missy.” Jenny said, her voice playfully chaste.  
  
Jessie went over to the desk and took her copy of the song ”Just the way you are” by Bruno Mars and carefully read the text, before quietly humming it.  
  
She went to the piano and first played the song with one hand, and then both hands. After doing that a few times she began singing to it aswell.  
  
When she noticed that all the children in her class were staring at her, and when she quit playing, applaused loudly for a long time, she beamed of proudness. Yes, it wasn’t a secret that the young Jessica had a huge talent for music. But for her mother, sadly, it was.  
  
  
***  
  
”Hi, it’s me, Tara.” The blonde said, through the phone.  
  
”Hi Tara, really excited about that coffee.” Willow quickly answered with a huge grin on her face.  
  
”Yeah, about that, which coffee place should we go to? I really don’t know any good ones in this town.”  
  
”We could go to the Eureka café, they have great coffee.”  
  
”Okay. Hey, it’s 3.50, wanna meet outside your place right now?”  
  
”Sure.”  
  
Willow hung up and quickly made her way down to the sidewalk.  
  
A few minutes later, Tara stood right next to her, and they were on their way to the café.  
  
When they arrived at the café, Tara realized that she’d forgot her wallet. Willow smiled and told Tara. ”I’m paying, don’t worry.”  
  
Both blushing, they sat down at a table, and began chatting.  
”So, you were really great at the bronze yesterday.” Willow said, causing the blonde to blush even more.  
  
”T-thank you.” Tara smiled giddily. ”But I wasn’t that g-good.” She quickly added.  
  
”Are you kidding me? You rocked.” Willow said, and put her resolve face up.  
  
”W-what’s with your face?” Tara asked.  
  
”See this? This is my ‘resolve face’. If I’ve decided something and this comes up, you better not argue with me.”  
  
”What happens if I do?” Tara questioned.  
  
”I, er.. I’ll tickle you until you give up and tell me that you are a great musician.”  
  
”Well, I am very ticklish-” She was interrupted by Willow’s hands everywhere.   
  
The redhead tickled Tara’s skin just above her collar bone, and shivered at the touch of her skin.  
  
She laughed and quickly said. ”Fine. I give up.”  
  
”Say it.”  
  
”I am a great musician. T-there, I’ve said it.”  
  
”Goodie.” The redhead answered, smirking inside.  
  
Right next to them stood a waitress, she cleared her throat to get their attention.  
  
  
”Oh, sorry. Hi.” Willow said, her cheeks flushed.  
  
”What are you going to order?”  
  
”We were going to go and order coffee, but I guess we got lost in the moment.”  
  
”Well, I can take your order. What do you want?”  
  
Tara bit her lip. ”I’ll take a coffee latte, with a double shot of espresso.”  
  
Willow thought for a while, and went for the same thing as Tara.  
  
The waitress nodded and went to take a few more orders.  
  
”You like coffee latte with a double shot of espresso?” Tara asked.  
  
”I, well, I have no idea. I heard someone order it in a movie once and thought it sounded cool.” Willow answered, doing her best not to look completely like an idiot.  
  
”T-that’s really cute. And just so you k-know, it’s delicious.”  
  
”That’s good.” Willow said, still blushing.  
  
The waitress arrived with their coffee, and gave it to them.  
  
”Oh my. It is really, really delicious!” Willow exclaimed as she took a sip from her coffee.  
  
”T-told you s-so.” Tara said, and took a sip from her coffee as well. ”S-so, where is your adorable daughter?”  
  
”She’s at her piano practice.”  
  
”Jessie plays the piano? Cool.”  
  
”Yeah. According to some, she’s got a real talent.”  
  
  
”Y-you haven’t heard her play?”  
  
”No, I’ve been so busy lately, I’ve barely had the time to go grocerie shopping.”  
  
”That sucks. If you want, maybe we could go to her practice right now and listen to her. I don’t wanna be the reason for you not listening to your daughter.”  
  
”Really? Thanks.” Willow was so happy, Tara had the kindest soul she’d ever known.  
  
They finished their coffee, paid the bill and then they were off to Jessie’s practice.  
  
When Willow opened the door that said ‘Piano room’ she heard sweet music.  
  
”I guess the kids here like Bruno Mars.” Willow whispered as they walked in to one of the large rooms.  
  
”Will, I don’t think it’s a CD playing.” Said Tara, and gestured over at the girl standing on the stage, playing piano and singing.  
  
”What do you mean?” Willow asked, and was turned around by Tara.  
  
  
They watched the redhead sing the last part of the song.  
  
_”When I see your face  
There's not a thing that I would change”  
Jessie noticed that her mama was standing in the doorway, so she tried extra hard to play the right notes, and in the right time.  
Cause you're amazing  
Just the way you are  
And when you smile,  
The whole world stops and stares for awhile  
Cause girl you're amazing  
Just the way you are”_  
  
”Oh my godess. Jessie!” Willow ran up and hugged her daughter.  
  
”Moom!” Jessie whined. ”You’re embarrasing me!”  
  
”Jessiebell, I had no idea you were so talented.”  
  
”You like my singing?”  
  
”Like? I love.”  
  
”I t-think you were amazingly g-good too!” Tara said, and smiled in awe.  
  
The girl was better than Tara, and she was eight years old.  
  
Jenny Calendar aproached Jessie, ”Jess, that was great. Now, if you ace it just like that when you’ll play in the church, everyone is gonna love your singing.”  
  
Jessie looked at her mother, and then at Tara. ”Mama, why are you here? The lesson doesn’t end until half an hour!”  
  
”Well, I wanted to hear my daughter play the piano. And she is very, very good.”  
  
Jessie blushed. ”Thank you. Tara, can you play the guitar?” She asked.  
  
”I can, but don’t think I’m good.”  
  
”I bet you are. Jenny!” Jessie shouted.  
  
”Yeah Jessie?”  
  
”Can Tara borrow a guitar?” She asked.  
  
”Sure, take this one.” She handed Tara a black wooden guitar.  
  
”What should I play?”  
  
”Can you play Alive, by Flyleaf?”  
  
”Yup.”?  
Tara began playing the sweet intro to the song, as Jessie found the right moment to begin singing.  
  
_"I love the way that your heart breaks  
with every injustice and deadly fate  
Praying it all be new  
and living like it all depends on you  
  
Here you are down on your knees again  
trying to find air to breathe again  
And only surrender will help you now  
I love you please see and believe again  
  
I love that you’re never satisfied  
with face value wisdom and happy lies  
you take what they say and go back and cry  
you’re so close to me that you nearly died  
  
Here you are down on your knees again  
trying to find air to breathe again  
And only surrender will help you now  
I love you please see and believe again  
  
they don’t have to understand you  
be strong  
wait and know I understand you  
be strong  
be strong  
  
Here you are down on your knees again  
trying to find air to breathe again  
Only surrender will help you now  
The floodgates are breaking   
they're pouring out  
  
Here you are down on your knees   
trying to find air to breathe   
right where I want you to be again  
i love you please see and believe again  
  
Here you are down on your knees again  
trying to find air to breathe again  
Right where I want you to be again  
See and believe!"_  
  
Willow smiled at the two girls. ”You two are amazing.”  
  
  
They picked up Jessie a bit earlier, and went home. They played jenga together, and talked a whole lot.  
  
When Jessie finally was in bed Tara got the courage to ask Willow something.  
  
”W-will, I’ve been wondering something..”  
  
”What?” Willow asked softly.  
  
”Who’s Jessie’s father?”  
  
”Well, remember when I told you that my best friend Jesse died?” Willow said, with relative ease.  
  
”Yes.”  
  
”Well, he’s her dad.”  
  
”Oh.” Tara said. ”Did you love him a lot?”  
  
”As a best friend I really did, and still do. But otherwise, I just used him.”  
  
”W-what?” Tara asked, not expecting that answer.  
  
”I was hurt, and tried to prove once and for all..” Willow looked at Tara, who smiled and wanted her to go on. ”I tried to prove to everyone that I wasn’t gay. And I knew Jesse was head over heels inlove with me, and.. I slept with him. A week later, he’s dead.”  
  
”W-why did you do that?”  
  
”I told you that my parents stopped talking to me when I got pregnant, and before that, they disowned me when I came out.”?  
  
”That’s awful! I never told my dad I was g-gay, and my mother was already dead, so, well you know.”  
  
”Poor you. Wait.. You’re gay too?”  
  
”Yea..” Tara said, seeing the odd but happy gaze in Willow’s eyes.  
  
”That’s good.. Because. I, I like you.” Willow whispered, and leaned forward a bit.  
  
”You do? W-well, I like you too.” Tara said, and slowly leaned forward aswell.  
  
”That’s good..” Willow said, once again, feeling Tara’s breath on her own. Their lips were merely an inch apart, as Willow closed the gap between her.  
  
Tara shivered, and responded to the sweet sensation that was Willow-kissing. The redheads ruby red lips tasted like strawberries, the best strawberries one could get.  
  
Willow was overwhelmed by the kiss, and ended it just for a second to get some air. Before she could kiss Tara again, she felt the blondes lips firmly pressed against her own.  
  
She felt Tara take her bottom lip into her mouth, and slowly run her tounge over it.  
  
Willow could do nothing but shiver to the sensation as her mouth opened and closed with Tara’s kiss.

 

n a desperate need for air, both girls softly broke the kiss.

”Wow.”

”Y-yeah.” Tara blushed. ”You c-can say that again.” She conteniued, breathlessly.

”Wow.” Willow joked, her voice sweet as silk. Tara’s features changed from blushing happily to insecure. ”I wasn’t that good, was I?” She quietly asked.

The redhead looked confused. ”What? I, Tara.. Not to sound weird, but that was the bestest kiss I’ve ever had. Not that I’ve ever kissed a girl I like as much as you.”

Tara’s cheeks reddened. ”Do you mean it?” She looked straight in to Willow’s eyes, and what’s more, her soul.

Shyly nodding, Willow kissed the blonde, and pulled away quickly. ”Believe me when I tell you that when we kissed, the sun went down and nothing but us mattered.” She said between kisses.

While listening to Willow’s speech that was the loveliest, Tara realised something. She didn’t like Willow for her red hair, her incredible adorable pout or her amazingly hot body. That was just her outside features, and of course she liked them too.

But she liked Willow, for her incredibly genuine and loving soul. Even if her hair would be pink or if the redhead would wear dorky outfits, she’d still like her

But what did Tara have for Willow to like? She stuttered, was shy and a thousand other non-appealing things. Yet Willow said something like that. ”Willow.. You are so sweet.” A tear rolled down her cheek.

”But-but, that’s good thing. Why are you sad?”

”Because I don’t deserve you.”

”Are you kidding me? You are amazing. You were great today with Jessie, you wanted to see me happy, so you ended our date early just so I could listen to Jessie play. Now, there’s just one thing I wanna ask.”

”W-what?”

”Do you wanna be my girlfriend?”

”Y-yes.”

”Umm, yay. Don’t ever doubt that you deserve me, cause you do.”

Smiling, Tara nodded. ”Thank you. And the s-same goes for you.” Tara yawned. ”I’m seepy.”

”Wanna go to bed? If you don’t wanna share the bed, I’ll take the couch.”

”I can share, just.. Um...” Tara trailed off, blushing.  
”What?”

”Doyousleepnaked?” She said, all in one sitch.

”Umm, no. Not with the chance of being awoken in the morning by Jessie.”

”Okay, good. Cause I don’t t-think I’m c-comfortable with the naked t-thing yet.”

”Oh, me eather. Is it okay if we sleep in bra’s and panties?”

”Yup.” Tara said, a strange tingly feeling in her stomach.

  
While awkwardly undressing, they both caught quick glances of each others body.

They slid down in the bed, and soon, they both were asleep.

In Jessie’s room, you might think there was a girl sleeping in her bed, but infact, she’d been listening to her mommy’s conversation with Tara.

Jessie had a broad smile on her face, as she too slid underneath the covers of her bed. Grinning, she pulled up her diary and wrote a short text.

Hi diary.

It’s me again, guess what happened today?! Not just did my mom hear me sing, but she also got together with Tara!

So maybe she will be my daddy. But I asked Jenny, and she said that I have to wait a long time before they’ll get married.

They don’t have to get married. I just want Tara to be my daddy, that’s all.

But if waiting is what I have to do, I’ll do it.

And, today in school, Tommy brought his chameleon to school, and scared everyone!

Except me, cause I knew it was just good old Jesper running around changing colours every now and then.

Bye, gotta sleep now!

Jessie carefully closed her diary and locked the small golden lock with a tiny key that she hid in the pouch of her stuffed winnie the pooh kangaroo. She’d gotten the stuffed animal on her second birthday, and she slept with it every night until she was six because she wanted to be a big girl then.

  
She closed her eyes, and drifted off to a sleep filled with candy, fairies and music.

 

Somewhere in an alley, sat an ugly man with a creepy grin on his face.

”I know where you are.” He whispered and laughed. The laughter was pure evil, and his eyes were ice cold.

”Excuse me mister, are you alright?” Asked a brown haired girl.

”What? Oh yes, I’m fine. ” He grinned even more.

”Hey, I saw you when I waked outta the Bronze last night, you’re not some freaky friend of Buffy are you?”

He walked out, and let the night light shine on his face, and what’s more, his large, almost-swordy knife.

”Woah. What are ya gonna do with that?”

Without ever hesitating a little bit, he stabbed the woman in her stomach and watched her fall down to the ground.

”Nothing much.” He said, and walked away. The night was still young, and he had yet to go find the girl, she would pay for leaving.

 

Tara woke up in the morning, the feeling of Willow’s hand tightly hugging her own causing her to smile. Gathering some curage, Tara leaned in and kissed her girlfriend.

 

 

Willow let out a deep and loving sigh as she slowly opened her eyes. ”Mmm. Tara-kisses.” The redhead smiled seductively.

  
”Yes, your very own.” The blonde smiled back and rubbed the back of Willow’s hand.

  
”We should get up. It’s Saturday morning, which means my bundle of joy will be awake around eight.” She quickly glanced at her alarm clock. ”Which was two hours ago.” The redhead asked herself with a perplexed frown.

  
”Maybe she had t-trouble sleeping last night and finally fell asleep?”

  
”Dunno, it’s the kind of quiet that makes me think she’s up to something, not the kind that is when she’s asleep.”

  
”T-there’s a differend kind of silence?” Tara grinned and quirked an eyebrow at Willow’s statement.

  
"Well, uh.. yeah." Willow blushed. "C'mon."

  
"uh, I'm having a slight case of just being in my underwear."

"Oh, well, I'm gonna go see what Jessie's up to and you just get ready and come to the kitchen, kay?"

"M'kay." The shy girl smiled. She was still not believing what had happened, and believed to 99% that this was all a dream and that she'd wake up soon, back with her father.

  
Willow exited the room, and was immediately met by a grinning little redhead with blue eyes. A bit scared, she exclaimed. "Jessie, what on earth are you doing here?"

"Nothing." The girl said between giggles.

"Uh huh? What are you doing here?" She repeated the question.

"I'm swimming in lava. What do you think? There's a TV over there which ain't on cause there's a city wide black out" Jessie said, quoting what Lisa, her best friend told Jessie that she'd told her mother.

"Oh. That explains why the TV isn't on, but not why you are three feet from my bedroom door."

"I got bored, I talked a while with Lisa, but then I ran out of money on my phone."

Willow sighed, she had gotten Jessie the cellphone so that she would be able to reach her. But the redhead had no idea that she was almost the last parent in Jessie's grade to give her kid a phone, and that Jessie actually used it in the proper way was also something unexpected.

"So, I listened to you and Tara talk for a while." Jessie went on.

"You know it's not nice to listen to people like that." Willow said, though she wasn't angry with her daughter at all.

"Yeah, I do. I'm sorry mama." The girl said, and then something struck her. "Is Tara gonna buy me a birthday present?"

"I don't think she knows it's your birthday in two weeks. Oh god, it's your birthday in two weeks."

"Is it?" Jessie jumped up in the couch. "WOHOO!" She exclaimed and ran into her room.

Right then, Tara was done with her clothes, and too exited Willow's bedroom.

The two girls looked at each other shyly, and sat down at the couch. They chatted about some stuff, and they had some stuff in common. They had both been in Sunnydale, Tara lived there until she had been at some age, Tara never mentioned that.

"My grandmother lives in Sunnydale you know, and even though I've explained over and over again to Jessie that she's *my* grandmother and not hers, she keeps calling her nana."

"That's cute."

"Yeah, aspecially since my mother wouldn't let me or Dana meet her at all just because she found one bottle of beer at one occasion in her trashbag." Willow sighed at her mothers "wanna-be-perfect" style, and yet she disowned her own daughter and was an awful parent. That's really perfect.

  
"who's dana?"

"my twin sister, we were like the wonder twins minus the wonder when we were kids."

"Cool. I have a brother, Donnie. He used to be all mean to me and steal my dolls, but one day he became really protective of me. I asked him why, and he told me that he'd seen dad's true face."

"Harsh."

Tara looked sad, and then something worrying crossed her mind. The redhead could sense something was disturbing her and decided to ask. "What's wrong?"

"I just.." The girl was quiet for a moment. "Did you mean it?"

"Mean what?" Willow asked, though she could almost guess what the blonde meant.

"When you asked me to be y-your girlfriend, did you m-mean it or did you j-just f-feel sorry for me?"

"I meant every word I said. No, I mean every word I said and will say. I know I've just known you for a few weeks, but there's something between us, and I dunno if you feel it, but it feels amazing and powerful. And I usually don't use that many words to say something that little, but do you get it at all?" Willow finished her rant.

"I d-do get it. I feel it too you know." The blonde smiled reassuringly towards her girlfriend.

Willow grinned and kissed her girls lips. They still tasted like the sweetest vanilla.

In the hallway Jessie was standing, and grinning like crazy. Then, suddenly, the power went back on. The tiny redhead turned the TV on, only to be met by a horrifying news report.

She picked up the TV-remote to change the channel, but was quickly stopped by her mother who stared at the TV.

  
"The police have found a dead body near Duncan's pizza parlor. The LAPD have identified the woman as Melissa Lee, an FBI field agent. The police have yet to find a suspect, but are working to find one."

  
Willow stared emptily at the TV "Oh god."

  
Tara knew what had happened. "Isn't Melissa Buffy's Ex?"

"Yeah-, Jessie, change the channel." Willow said, and headed straight to the phone.

She dialled a number, and waited a few secs.

"Hi, you've reached Buffy Summers. I'm currently not home so please leave a message after the beep."

"Hey, It's Will. Have you heard the news?"

A second later, Buffy picked up the phone.

"H-hi Willow. I'm here. And I know."

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be. We're gonna find the son of a bitch who killed her. I know she was a bitch too, but she didn't deserve to die." Buffy said between sniffles.

"You loved her."

"Y-yeah, I did. Listen, I'm gonna head down to the station, can you call Kate and tell her to get here as well?"

"Sure."

"And you should come too. I need some best friend time."

"Of course." Willow answered.

She hung up, and dialled another number.

"Hi Kate, it's Willow."

"Oh, hi. I know what's happened Will, I was at the crime scene a minute ago. The sick fuck who did this knew exactly where to stab to make sure she bled to death, and not died immediately. She must have suffered for hours."

"Oh god." Willow felt like she was going to be sick. It was like Buffy'd said. No one deserved that kind of pain, not even a lying, cheating bitch.

"Get down to the station Kate, I'll be there right away."

"Okay." Kate said, and hung up.

Willow quietly put the phone back where it belonged.

"Mama, what's wrong?" Jessie asked, sensing her disturbance.

"Someone I knew is dead."

"Dead like daddy?"

"Yes, dead like daddy. And I have to go to work, because I'm gonna catch the mean man who did it."

"Okay. But what about me?"

"Er, Tara.. I'm sorry that I have to leave and all but, can you watch Jessie for a couple of hours."

"Of course."

Willow grabbed her car keys and opened the door. As she was about to exit, she felt Tara's hand warmly against her shoulder.

Willow quickly faced Tara and kissed her cheek. The blonde blushed "Take care." She said, smilingly.

"I will." The cop answered and smiled back at her girlfriend. With that, Willow vanished from the apartement.

Tara watched the door shut close, and headed to the couch. As she sat down, she remembered something.

When she went to bed last night, she was in her underwear. It was a big risk she'd taken, but Willow hadn't seen all her ugly scars.  
The blonde thought.

Suddenly she realized that Jessie was looking at her with a gleeful expression.

"What?" She asked.

Jessie smirked childishly. "You kissed my mama."

"Yeah, I k-know." Tara said, not really understanding the girls point.

"Are you her girlfriend then?"

"Well, uh, yeah?"

"Good." Once again, the girl smirked, and Tara was even more confused.

Tara was really curious now. "Er, why did you.. what.. why d-did you ask that?"

"No big reason." Jessie said, though the reason was really big. "Wanna watch TV?"

"Okay."

"We can watch Sarah the vampire slayer."

"S-sure. What's that?"

"A TV show my mama won't let me watch. But she's not here right now."

"Er.. okay.." The blonde said.

Fifteen minutes later they were watching an episode.

"Okay, he's not a demon? B-but the almost non verbal b-but in some way cool guy is?"

"In a way. He's a werewolf. I think that makes him a demon." Jessie simply stated.

Tara watched another scene. "Are you sure Snyder isn't a d-demon?"

"Yup. He's just a mean old man."

"O-kay." Tara said. Could that TV-show get any weirder?

One episode later, the blonde took back her statement. When the bleach blonde vampire that reminded her of the guy in Faith's band turned against the evil vampire who was Sarah's ex and that before they boinked had been a goody two-shoes she realized that the show got weirder by every second.

Meanwhile they watched TV in all the obliviousness, a killer wandered the streets of the sunny Los Angeles.

He had searched a name in an index and bingo, he found his girl's adress.

Yes, Tara Maclay would indeed pay for running away like that. But not now. After killing that girl he would have to lay low for a while. And that's what he did.

  
During almost two weeks, nothing happened. (Just in a criminal way. Otherwise a lot went on.)

Faith had on a monday decided to go over to Buffy and try to cheer her up, and it went pretty well.

Though, after that night, every time Buffy just looked at Faith whenever she was at the bronze, her stomach fluttered and her cheeks got flushed big-time.

Jessie continued her plan of getting a daddy, and Willow and Tara got closer every day. Willow went shopping for presents, and soon, without anyone noticing it that much, two weeks had passed and it was the day before Jessie's birthday.

 

"The chocolate frosting is over there Nathie, can you get it for me?" Willow asked her 'niece'.  
  
"M'kay." The five year old smiled, proud to help her mother and auntie with her best friends birthday cake.  
  
"Hey Will, I'm done with the whipcream." Kate said, and gave Willow the bowl.  
  
Willow smiled childishly as she tasted a spoon full of the delicious whipcream. Birthdays were one of her favourites because that always meant good old chocolatey goodness, and Kate being the greatest cook in the world made it a whole lot easier.  
  
Willow still didn't have a single clue how to make a cake without burning it, or using salt instead of sugar. Switching sugar to salt was of course a mistake, and not because she thought there was gonna be salt in a cake.  
  
That's why the baking part was Nathalia and Kate's thing, not Willow's.  
  
Jessie was at her piano lesson, and the reason they didn't wait with the baking until she got home was because she wanted to be suprised.  
  
"Wiwwo, what did you buy for Jessie?" Asked the tiny blonde, tugging Willow's shirt.  
  
The redhead stopped putting the chocolate frosting on the cake. "I bought her lots of stuff. A keyboard, a new diary, some necklaces, bracelets and earrings, a kareoke thingy, a monopoly game and these pink-ish shoes that she wanted."  
  
"Converse shoes!" Nathalia said proud over remembering what Jessie had went on and on about a while ago.  
  
"You bought her Converses? Aren't they kinda.. expensive?" Kate asked, wondering where the redhead always seemed to get extra money from.  
  
"Yup, I used the money mom and dad left for me. It's quite a lot actually."  
  
"Cool. Natha wanted those shoes too, but she has to small feet for those that are in the store, and I don't think it's worth special ordering some since her shoes'll end up dirty and worn out after a week anyway. Just like her clothes." Kate snickered and then smiled at the over-serious look on her daughters face.  
  
"Mommy." Nathalia whined. "You're not the boss of what shoes I wear!" She said, completely serious.  
  
Willow cracked up at the girl, and then continued smearing chocolate frosting on the cake.  
  
"Nathie, Nathie, Nathie. You get to pick out your clothes, but shoes are my job, cause you like to play, that way you need shoes that don't break immediately." Kate said, with a smile.  
  
"Okay mommy." Nathalia sighed in defeat. She rolled her eyes at her mother and went to see what was on TV. Bored, she watched an episode of 'Good Luck Charlie'  
  
Meanwhile, Tara Maclay was practicing with Faith's band.  
  
"Tara, you're great! Now, if you just get in a little bit earlier, and we'll rock this place."  
  
"O-okay, I'll try." The blonde smiled, her mind not focused on the music at all.  
  
"Look blondie, you seem kinda distracted, and I guess it got somethin' to do with that redheaded bird of yours, but we have to to be completely focused, let the music flow in our blood. That kinda stuff." The bleach blonde guy with way too much hair-gel told the blonde with a sincere smile.  
  
Tara pressed the image of Willow way back her head, and locked it up in a mental box. She took a deep breath and signed something to tell Faith and the rest of the group that she was ready.  
  
After a day of practice she unlocked her door, only to be met by a horrifying envelope laying right behind her door.   
  
A scared expression crawled its way up in her face, and a tear slid down her cheek. Her skin turned pale, and she dropped the paper the minute she saw what else the envelope contained.  
  
The paper said: "You're next baby girl."  
  
The scary part? The envelope contained a human finger. Suddenly, the girls stomach turned, and she went for her bathroom toilet. After throwing up, she hurried to the phone. She dialled 911.  
  
"Emergency services, how can we help you?"  
  
"T-there's a letter, and a f-f-finger in the envelope. He's coming for me!" Tara said, and with that she hung up.  
  
She softly cried as the door knocked. She didn't open it when they knocked, or when they told Tara who they were.  
  
They came bursting in, to find the blonde shaking in a fetal position, crying, and the finger on the ground.  
  
Tara was numb. All she could feel was a big ball of nothing in her stomach. And it hurt.   
  
She was crying, she could feel the tears rolling down her cheeks, but she didn’t choose to cry, the tears came. And she didn’t feel anything.  
  
She just knew was that soon she’d be back with her father and brother, and all she’d done would have been for nothing.   
  
  
It was frustrating to watch the police officers and FBI agents to go around her appartement, with no clue of what they were doing.  
  
She was wrapped in a blanket, Tara had no idea why though. It must be a security thing, she though.  
  
  
Tara knew why there was a finger in the envelope. It reminded her of something, and they knew it.  
  
  
Tara had been a very childish girl, playing with dolls until she was eleven, when daddy threw all her toys out.   
  
She’d loved to surround her with stuffed animals, princesses and dolls just to get away from the harsh reality. When she didn’t have her toys, all she had was her diary, which she would fill with cute stories about kittens, half camels and witches.  
  
  
She remembered that Donnie used to cut the fingers of her dolls and make it an amusing game for him and his friends to watch her cry out of sadness and fear. He sometimes even read her diary out lout to them.  
  
  
Everyone thought Daddy made Donnie into the monster he is, but he didn’t. Donnie was worse from the start.  
  
And now, she had them both chasing after her.  
  
  
Tara realized something.  
  
Willow. If they had been watching her, it was a good chance they knew Tara was at least the redheads friend.  
  
And friends isn’t something that ugly trash has. They belong locked up in an empty room doing what they should. Waiting for nothing.  
  
  
Willow was in danger if they knew who she was. And Tara couldn’t even begin to imagine what would happen if they’d lay a finger on her girl.  
  
She thought. < _She isn’t my girl. I don’t know why a beautiful girl like her would like an ugly piece of trash like me, but she does. And it’s an amazing feeling to have someone that at least likes me. I wonder why she likes me.. >  
  
_  
Completely unexpectedly, Tara found herself wrapped in the arms of her gorgeous girlfriend. But she was gonna break up with her, for sure _. <she’s gonna="" come="" to="" her="" senses="" now,="" i="" promise.="">  
_  
  
”Tara? Tara baby? Answer me, please!” The redhead said, choking on tears. _  
_  
”I-I-I..” Tara stuttered. ”I’m s-so s-sorry”   
  
”What?” Willow asked sadly. ”No. You’re not going to be sorry for something that was done to you.” She said, her resolve face on.  
  
The redhead looked at the crushed blonde, she looked so weak, so insecure. All she could do was hold her.  
  
”You, y-you’re n-not-” Tara began, slightly confused.  
  
”What?” Willow asked softly.  
  
”Y-you’re not b-breaking up with me?” Tara said, suprise filling her voice. She could feel everything now, and it hurt. God how it hurt.   
  
”Oh my, of course I’m not Tara. Why would I do that? I can’t imagine a world without having you around.” She said, causing Tara so smile a little.  
  
”T-thank you.” The blonde said, shivering.   
  
”I f you mind, I’d like to speak to Miss Maclay in private.” Said one of the investigators that were there. When the FBI’d heard about the finger, LAPD had nothing there to do anymore.   
  
”Of course.” Willow said, not really wanting to let go of her girlfriend’s hand, but forcing herself to do it anyway. They shared quick glance as Willow let go of the blondes hand and went to talk to the other officers.  
  
”So, Tara. Do you have any idea who the letter was from?” The officer asked, focusing on getting eye contact.  
  
”Y-y-yes.” The blonde stammered sadly.  
  
”Could you tell me who it’s from?” He asked kindly, the fear in her eyes reminding him of the kids at the center for abused children.  
  
”It’s f-f-from my F-father.”  
  
Eli Daniels gulped. Never in his fifteen year long career he had met someone with such a sick excuse for a father. Unless you counted his own.  
  
”Okay, good Tara. Do you have any idea why he would send you this?”   
  
This was hard enough for him, but actually having to ask someone these questions, someone that had obviously been through a lot, was awful.. ‘Why would anyone send you this?’ he mused. ‘Because it’s a nice gift’ he thought sarcasticlly.   
  
”He wants me to go back.”  
  
_  
_  
’ _He wants me to back’_ Eli heard her say in the back of his head.  
  
”Go back where?”   
  
”H-home.” Tara stuttered. She felt so little, so small and pathetic and all she wanted to do was crawl up in a corner and cease to exist.  
  
But this was real life, and you couldn’t just stop existing. She tried to straighten herself up, and gave him a half hearted answer.  
  
Willow, had seen the finger. It was gross, but it made her realize something. The red nail polish that the finger had, was the same color and design that Melissa had worn the day she died.   
  
”Hey Sherlock!” Willow shouted at one of the investigators that she had known a long time.  
  
”What?” The british man answered shortly, annoying and being annoyed by the redhead had become a game of some sort. He didn’t like the LAPD and she didn’t like the FBI. (Or, at least they didn't like each other)  
  
”Sherlock! I need you to do a DNA sample of the finger and the Melissa case.”  
  
”In case you didn’t notice, she had all her fingers, you saw the news report, am I right?”  
  
”It’s standard for the fes to withdraw information. Also, the cast never showed anything but pictures of her face.”  
  
”Miss Rosenberg, the LAPD really don’t have anything to do here, but fine. You’ll owe me one.”  
  
”Gee, it’ll help the investigation.” Willow sighed.  
  
When she was trained to be a cop, Wesley Wyndam-Price A.K.A Sherlock had been the nerdy suck-up with glasses.(Now a days one of the top field agents in the states)   
  
He came from a long line of british agents, and his father had sent him there to get rid of his rebellious behavior. (Having an opinion of his own) All the other Wyndam’s were specially trained, but not him.  
  
Wesley had gotten his name for his creepy Sherlock Holmes collection and knowledge of it, and also because he quoted Sherlock holmes nearly all the time.  
  
The redheaded cop smirked as she watched him talk to a bunch of other people.  
  
If the finger did belong to Melissa, that meant Tara’s father killed her.  
  
”Oh, the fun just keeps on leaving.” She mumbled. She sighed as her phone rang.  
  
When she saw who it was, she realized something.   
  
”Mama?” A young girl said.  
  
”Hi Jessie, sorry I haven’t picked up you yet.” Willow said, her voice low in shame.  
  
”It’s okay. It’s just seven o’clock you know.” The girl pointed out.  
  
”Okay baby girl.”  
  
”Maama,” Jessie said in a singsong voice. ”Don’t call me that, turning nine tomorrow, remember?” She said, before worriedly adding ”You haven’t forgotten, right?”  
  
”Of course not. I would never forget the most important day in your life.”  
  
”Good.”  
  
”You’ve done all of your homework, right?”  
  
”Yup, it was really, really easy. And, I gave all the invitations for my birthday party to everyone in my class today, and almost everyone could come!” The girl squealed happily.  
  
"That's great sweetie!"  
  
”Soooooo, mama, whatcha doing?”  
  
”I’m working, sort of. I’ll be there to pick you up in half an hour, I just have to sort some things out.” Willow said.  
  
”Okay mama, Nathie, Kate and I are gonna play Jenga now, bye!” Jessie said happily.  
  
”Okay, bye sweetie.” The redhead said. She ended the call as her eyes drifted off to find Tara.  
  
It was fifteen minutes later when the police officers had finally begun to leave that she found the blonde sitting on a kitchen chair. ”Hi Willow.” Tara shyly said looking up from her cup of coffeé.  
  
”Hi. How are you doing?” The redhead asked, smiling at Tara.   
  
”I don’t know. C-confused I guess.” She answered, looking straight in to gorgeus green eyes.   
  
”I get that.” Willow slid her arms around Tara, wanting to comfort her in every possible way.  
  
  
”Why do you like me?” Tara blurted out. She hadn’t planned on asking it, but she did.  
  
  
Willow took a seat next to Tara and grabbed her hands. ”Tara, I’ve known you for like a month, and we got together kind of quick, and I know this is gonna sound like some cheesy thing that teens write to each other on facebook, but it’s true.” The redhead begun her infamous but lovable babble.  
  
”It just took a second for me to se that you were especial, and a minute to see that you were the kindest and most amazing person in the world. And you ask me why I like you. Here’s why.” Willow smiled at her girlfriend. ”You. Are. Amazing.” She finished between kisses.  
  
A warm tear rolled down Tara’s cheek. Cheesy or not, Willow liked her. She could see it in her eyes. She closed her eyes for a second before saying. ”Thank you Willow. For everything. And amazing doesn’t even describe what i think you are.”  
  
Willow smiled at Tara, ”It means a lot coming from you, ooh, and you didn’t even stutter once ” She said, before realising Tara might be offended. Lyckily, she wasnt.  
  
Tara just smiled and brushed her thumb over Willow’s. ”My heart doesn’t stutter.”  
  
The redhead leaned in and brushed her lips against Tara’s. They parted after a few seconds with a reasonably loud ‘pop’.  
  
They both jumped when they heard someone saying. ”Finally, the smooch fest ends.”  
  
”Shit! Faith, you scared the crap outta me!” Willow said, obviously startled and suprised to find the singer standing in Tara’s kitchen.  
  
”Chill, Red. I heard from B about T, so I came up to check on her.”  
  
”I’m okay Faith, r-really.” Tara said.  
  
”You’re kidding me, right? If my folks’d be here, well, I’d run for my life, cause they’re both dead, but if they weren’t, I’d be pretty shaken up.”  
  
_I'm not fine, i’m terrified. i don’t even know if it’s safe to go outside, or i'll be alive by next month_ ”I’m dealing with it.” Tara lied. She knew she’d have to talk about it eventually, but not now.  
  
Willow smiled, but then saw what time it was. ”Tara, I’m really, really sorry, but I have to go. Jessie is waiting for me at Kates.”  
  
”It’s okay.” Tara smiled kindly.   
  
The redhead reached in for a loving hug. ”I’ll see you tomorrow?”  
  
”Okay.” Smiled Tara. Faith groaned quietly at their lovey-dovey stuff.  
  
”Bye.”   
  
”Bye” Willow said, walking out of the kitchen. She couldn’t wait for her daughters birthday tomorrow.  
  


She was still, it was going to happen really soon. Her Mama would come bursting through her door any second and that was when she was allowed to come out of her room.  
  
Soon, the second came. One loud knock on her door, two, three, and then her mama opened the door.  
  
”Jessie? Happy birthday.” She sweetly said, sitting next to her daughters bed. ”Wanna have a delicious birthday breakfast? I made pankaces!”  
  
Jessica shot up at that, the tiny tiredness that was left, completely gone. ”I want pancaces.” She said, grinning excitedly while jumping out of her bed, heading for the kitchen with her Mama.  
  
Jessica grinned as she saw the table with presents and rushed to a really big one. ”Can I open it? Pleaaase?” She asked, putting on her best pouty-face.  
  
”Okay.” Willow said, smiling. ”But just this one, then we eat, and then you get to open the rest, okay?”  
  
”Okay.” The girl said, carefully unwrapping the paper surrounding the present.  
  
”I think I know what it is!” She mumbled. ”It’s, it’s.. it’s a box..” She said, a little disappointed.  
  
”Sweetie, you have to open it.” Willow grinned sheepishly at her daughter.  
  
Jessie blushed and quietly opened the box. When she saw what was in it, she gasped. ”Is it?” Willow nodded. ”And it’s mine?”  
  
”All yours.” She grinned.  
  
”Yay! A real keyboard! Thank you, thank you, thank you!” Squealed the girl, rushing to her mother to hug her.   
  
”You’re welcome. Let me take a picture of you.” She smiled, holding up the camera, watching Jessie grin. ”Done. Okay, let’s eat, my belly really needs yummy delicious pancakes right now.” Willow babbled, and Jessie giggled at her.  
  
”Mama, you’re silly. Your belly isn’t a person.” She giggled, while stuffing her mouth with a huge bite. She chewed it for a long time, and then finished with milk.  
  
Willow laughed, grinning sheepishly at Jessie’s new milk moustache. ”Does Mr. Rosenberg want more pancakes?”  
  
Jessie frowned, so the redhead took a small mirror and gave it to Jessie. She frowned for a few seconds before realising what it was. ”Oh, now I get it. I have a milky moustache, and that’s a guy thing. Hence the ’Mr’ thing. Right, mama?” The now 9 year old girl asked.  
  
Willow nodded and took another pancake, and gave one to Jessie aswell. After breakfast and when all the dishes were done, Jessie opened the rest of her mothers presents.  
  
She smiled all the time as she saw all the things she got. The things she got were; a new diary, a pair of blue paliette converse shoes, dark denim jeans, two movie tickets, a pink plectrum for her guitar, sparkling pencils, books, the newest shrek movie and little petshop figures.  
  
Happy was an understatement. Jessie was completely in awe because of all her presents.   
  
”Mama?” She asked, after all the present and candy paper had been swiped up and thrown away.   
  
”Yeah, Jess?”  
  
”Can I use my keyboard?” Jessie continued softly..  
  
”Of course sweetie.” She answered.  
  
There was a moment of silence. ”I thought you were going to play.” Willow asked.  
  
”I don’t know how to plug in the keyboard or whatever you do. I’m just a kid you know.” Jessie said, didn’t her mother know that? ”I’m a big girl. But I’m still just a kid.”  
  
Willow chuckled. ”Of course I’ll help you sweetie. Give me the mannuals and we’ll get started.” She said, following her daughter in to her room.   
  
Only a few minutes later, Willow was already having a problem.  
  
”What is it mama?” The young redhead asked.  
  
”Well, I’ll know how to put all these thousands of cables together, as soon as I learn how to speak German..” Willow sighed. There should have been a translation to English, even though the keyboard was ordered from some super company in Germany.   
  
Jessie frowned and grabbed the piece of paper from her mother. ”What does ‘Steck den roten Kabel in den silberner adapter rein, and blah blah blah.’ mean anyway?” Willow mumbled as she watched Jessie run away, still holding the manual.  
  
Five minutes later she came back, saying ”It either means ’Put the red cable in the silver adapter, and plug the other end into the keyboard’ or that we have to clean the keyboard with a cat. I’m guessing it’s the first, right?”  
  
”Yeah, makes sense.” Willow mumbled, doing what Jessie said, before once again looking at the manual, and turning the page.   
  
Her face got a small dumbstruck look as she saw what was on the next page. ”Oh look, there’s a picture of what you’re supposed to do, and there is a translation to English. Now I feel kind of stupid.”  
  
”Oh, um..” Jessie giggled. ”You didn’t look at the next page?” She asked, before getting a glare from her mother. ”Okay, so you’re done now?” She asked after a long quiet moment of shame from her mother.  
  
”Yes, just let me put that thing into that thing and those other things into that aaaand, now it’s done.” Willow said, groaningly lifting the heavy Keyboard to it’s stand and pressing the ’on’ button.  
  
”Okay Jess, now you can play as much as you want.” She said with a smile, and a bit of a back ache.  
  
The little redhead grinned happily and pressed the ivories, getting to know her new, and seemingly awesome keyboard. She begun playing a sweet song she’d been taught a while ago, it was a really pretty song Jessie thought.  
  
”That’s beautiful, Jessica. I think I’ve heard it before. Which song is it?” Willow smiled at her daughter.   
  
Jessie’s every being was music, music and more music. Sometimes she wondered where Jessie got her musical talent from, it was certainly not from Willow ”the tone deaf that couldn’t hit a right note even if it stood in front of her” Rosenberg. Maybe Jesse was a closet prodigy or something.  
  
  
”It’s ‘What are words”Jessie answered. ”Jenny Calendar taught me how to play it, and she said that I did it really, really well.” She went on, still keeping her focus on the keyboard.  
  
”Do you want me to sing it?” She asked, looking up at her mother.  
  
Willow grinned like crazy, nodding at her daughter. Jessie saw the not so subtle nod, and begun singing aswell.  
  
Jessie finished the song with a bright smile lightening up every inch of her face. ”Was I good?”  
  
”Sweetie, you’re amazing.” Willow grinned.   
  
The little redhead blushed and quietly said ”Thank you mama.”  
  
”You’re very welcome.” Her mother answered.  
  
After thinking for a few seconds, Jessie asked: ”Mama, is it true that if you eat mentos and drink coke at the same time, you’ll explode?” This had bothered the little girl for a long time. Was it true, or was it not.  
  
Willow was a little put off by her daughters rather ”quirky” question. ”Well, um.. I don’t think it’s true. I think.” The redhead answered.  
  
  
  
”Oh okay. Spencer told me that it was true. But I sooo knew it wasn’t mama, cause it isn’t. Right?” Jessie asked her mother, grinning like crazy.  
  
”I honestly don’t know sweetie.” Willow quickly responded, before seeing Jessies small hello kitty alarm-clock showing that it was already 11 o’clock and standing up to say. ”Jessie, you have to get ready, Buffy, Xander and all the others will come to celebrate you today.  
  
”Nathalia too?” Jessie asked, running over to her pile of all the new clothes she’d got to pick something out.   
  
”Yes, and before you ask, yes she’s invited to your school party aswell.”  
  
”Great. What do you think about these clothes, mama?” Jessie wondered, holding up a black puffy glitter skirt, silver leggings and a black/white leopard colored shirt.  
  
”I think they would look stunning on little, er, sorry, big miss Jessica.”  
  
Jessie giggled before carefully putting all of her clothes on her bed. ”I’ll put them on later.” She said, still smiling. ”Please, can I watch the new shrek movie now?”  
  
”Of course, Jessiebell. You can watch it while I do the dishes, okay?”  
  
”Okay mama.” She grinned

After breakfast and a lot of keyboard playing Jessie started to eagerly wait infront of the door, waiting for the first guests to arrive.   
  
She grinned at the thought of seeing Nathalia, Kate, Xander, Buffy, Faith, Dana, her husband whose name her mind refused to remember, and the woman who Jessie was sure would spend a lot of time with them, Tara.  
  
Tara herself was completely stressed out. She was buying a last minute present for Jessie,   
and it was safe to say that she was finding nothing.  
  
”Can I help you, miss?” Asked one of the shop-assistants, a really young one who had been watching the girl walk around the store the past ten minutes.  
  
”Uhm, y-yeah. I’m looking for something to give a nine year old girl. It’s her birthday.”  
  
”Okay.” The dark haired boy smiled. ”What kind of things does she like?” He asked, looking through a catalogue  
  
”Well, she p-play’s the piano and sings.” Tara said, hoping this store would have something. This was the last store with things she could afford.  
  
”If she’s a little musician, I can guarantee this will be something she’ll love.” The young shop assistant informed Tara as he took her to a shelf with the sign ‘Music - Art supplies   
  
The blonde’s face shone up as she followed him, but much to her disappointment, what he showed her was a toy microphone that would probably insult and confuse the girl rather than entertain her.   
  
”Uhm..” Tara sighed.”I d-don’t t-think this is the right gift for h-her.” She, cursing her stutter. ”She is rather.. serious when it comes to music, so I think I’ll get her s-something else.” Explained the blonde, hoping she didn’t offend the boy.  
  
”Oh. I’m sorry. We don’t have any other music objects in store yet.” He frowned, but then went to a different shelf. ”What would she think about jewellry then?”   
  
”You know, I think she’d like that.” Nodded Tara, gazing at all the shelves.  
  
”This is a ‘Make your own jewellry’ set that we got just a few days ago, and it comes with two rings and different diamonds that you can easily attatch to it, and there’s also a few necklaces and some other things.” The shop-assistant explained. ”All though, the glue is pretty fast drying, so make sure she doesn’t use it by herself.” He added, and smiled brightly. ”So, do you want it?”  
  
”I’ll take it.” Tara smiled and headed for the checkout. Quickly glancing at her watch to see how much longer it was until Jessie’s party, she let out a small gasp. Only half an hour left until Jessie’s party. She smiled kindly as she waited patiently for the customers before her to finish and as her turn came, she took her wallet out of her purse.  
”Okay, 13 dollars, please.” The dark haired cashier smiled, letting out a small, but not so subtle chuckle at the sight of the blonde’s Winnie the Pooh wallet.   
  
Tara grinningly exited the shop with Jessie’s gift, after getting it gift-wrapped aswell. Smiling at a few pre-school children walking past her, she began walking the few blocks to Willow and Jessie’s appartement. While she walked, she began to think about her and Willow.   
Almost two months ago she didn’t even know the redhead, but now she was having a hard time imagining a life without her. Tara knew she had to ask Willow again about the girlfriend thing, if she really meant it.  
  
But then her mind was covered with dark depressing clouds as she thought about.. the other stuff.  
  
She knew things were going down, deep down to hell. Her father, maybe even her brother too, was in LA looking for her and he would stop at nothing to get her back into the hell she barely escaped alive from. He had all ready killed someone, the blonde knew he killed that girl, Melissa.  
  
The sick and yucky feeling in the pit of Tara’s stomach was getting worse every day now. Usually she would just ignore it, just like she had done so many times before, but now she just couldn’t. The blonde clutched her fists and shuddered as every muscle in her body tensed at the thought of that her father or brother might - and probably would - do something to hurt Jessie or Willow. Glancing up, she realised that she was standing infront of the door to the appartement building Willow lived in.  
  
She straightened her shirt as she opened the door and took the stairs up to the third floor.   
  
She knocked at one of the doors, and grinned as she saw Jessie, wearing an adorable black puffy skirt and a tiger striped tank top. ”Hi birthday girl.” She smiled, giving the present to Jessie. ”You look beautiful.”  
  
”Thank you.” The girl smiled. ”Come on in.” She added and stepped aside. ”Mama! Tara is here!” Jessie shouted though the kitchen.  
  
Willow came running from the kitchen, holding a plate of cookies and smiled broadly. ”Hi Tara, I’m glad you could come.”  
  
Tara smiled as Willow said that, and Jessie looked at Tara and then back to her mother. Oh yes, there was some love going on there.   
  
”Mama, can I show Tara my presents?”  
  
”Sure, Jessiebell. But when rest of our guests arrive you come to the livingroom, okay?”  
  
”‘kay, Mama.” Jessica smiled and grabbed Tara’s hand. ”Come on.” The redhead dragged Tara to her room. Jessie did not really want to play piano right now, she wanted to talk to Tara. But when she remembered that she had learned a new song, she just   
  
”This is my new keyboard! Look! And I can play a lot of songs, and it has really funny effects and it can record things too!” The child babbled.  
  
Tara smiled and looked at the keyboard. ”Why don’t you p-play something.”  
  
”Okay.” Jessie grabbed a seat and pressed the ’on’ button. She furrowed her brows and poked out her tounge as she tried to think of a song to play.  
  
The blonde grinned at the child as a familiar melody started to play. Tara stifled a giggle. ”That’s the song from Mario, right?”  
  
”Yeah! I played Wii at Spencer’s a week ago, and it just stuck in my head ever since. I played it right, right?” The girl asked, worriedly.  
  
”Well, I’m not an expert, b-but it sounded pretty right.”  
  
”Oh goodie.” Jessica smiled as she heard her mother shout: ”Jessie, there’s someone here for you.”   
  
Jessie giggled. ”Yay!” She said as she ran to the door.   
  
Tara grinned too as she approached Willow. ”Hey you.” She smiled  
  
”Hi Tare. Uh..” Willow trailed off, blushing.  
  
”W-what is it?” Tara asked, afraid she’d done something wrong.  
  
”You. You look absolutely stunning.” Willow gasped as Tara looked down. The blonde looked at her clothes, ducking her head. ”It’s just a pair of jeans and a worn out shirt, n-nothing special.”  
  
”Nuh-uh missy, don’t you go all shy on me. You’re gorgeous, okay?”  
  
Tara blushed as she heard someone talk. ”Okay, Will. Enough with the sweet talk.”   
  
Tara gasped at the sight of a brunette, with the exact same features as Willow. They looked almost identical, apart from the other girl’s hair and voice.  
  
”Oh, come on sis. You forgot to tell her all ‘bout little ole’ me, didn’t you? I’m offended.” Dana fauxly gasped as a tall man with british accent stepped in. ”Hi, I’m Michael, and this is my silly wife, Dana. She’s obviously Willow’s sister and.. okay, I’m shutting up now.” He babbled to Tara.  
  
”Michael, I see you have inherited mine and Dana’s babble. Welcome to the family of babbling idiots. Okay, so first off.” Willow turned to Tara aswell. ”Really sorry for not mentioning the huge fact that I have a twin sister. I honestly thought I’d told you.”  
  
”You did, I think.” Tara smiled. ”I just f-forgot.” The blonde smiled as Dana shook her hand. ”I’m Dana, Willow’s older sister.” The brunette grinned as they walked to the livingroom instead.  
  
Willow fauxly coughed ”I’m the oldest” and finished with a cough.  
  
Michael rolled his eyes at the sibling banter.”Tara, is it?” He asked with a soft british accent.  
  
”Yes.” The blonde responded, hoping she would make the afternoon with as little stutter as possible. Michael indicated for them to go to the livingroom, so they made their way towards it as Michael frowned.  
  
”Great. Now where did the little squirt go, I swear she’s here one minute and the next-” He groaned, but was interrupted by something rather.. loud.  
  
”Booh!” A child yelled from behind the couch, which was placed in the far end of the livingroom, startling both Tara and Michael.  
  
”Dear lord, Jessica! Do you want to see me dead?” He sighed embarrasedly and sat down the couch.   
  
”Sorry Uncle Mika.” The girl blushed.   
  
”’s okay, dollie.” He smiled. ”This is your present, go put it at the table, okay?” He asked.  
  
Willow came in the room with a broad smile, ”Jess, Kate and Nathalia are here now.”   
  
Jessica squealed and ran to the door. ”HI NATHA!” Everyone heard her yell.   
  
*******  
  
Sixty minutes later Xander, Buffy, Faith, Kate, Nathalia, Willow, Jessie, Tara, Michael and Dana all sat in the living room chatting with one and another. The gift sharing had come as soon the cake had been eaten and Jessie had opened all presents within ten minutes. Grinning, she unwrapped the last present. Her eyes widened a little as she saw its content. "Oh my gosh, it's one of those jewellry kits, Spencer has like five of those!"  
  
"So you like it?" Tara asked, overcome by the young girls excitement. "Like? I love! I'm going to use it right now, and make you thank you jewelry!" The child babbled as she looked at all the pearls.  
  
"Someone should help you, the glue is pretty fast drying."  
  
"A necklace doesn't need glue, right?" Jessie asked with a smile.  
  
"Nah. Unless you're making a macaroni crap necklace, cause then you might." Faith added.  
  
"I maded a macaroni necklace for my mommy in pre-school. Was that crap?" Nathalia asked sadly.  
  
"Oh no sweetie, I just meant that sometimes macaroni breaks.. and then you need glue to fix it." Faith said, trying to sound as nice as possible.  
  
"Oh, okay." The young girl smiled and went back to hugging her mother. Buffy shot Faith a "nice save." look as she helped Jessie put the pearls on the thread.  
  
Tara grinned, but was soon forced out of the living room, since Jessie wanted the necklace's appearance to be a surprise. So, both Willow and Tara were in the kitchen.  
  
Tara knew she had to say something to break the silence. "So.."  
  
"So.."  
  
"We need to talk." They said, simultaneously.  



	2. Chapter 2

Rating: PG-13

 

Feedback: DUH? Of course people! Flames please be sent in a PM to avoid unneccesary embarrasment.

 

Disclaimer: Buffy The Vampire Slayer & Angel and all their characters belong to mutant enemy & Joss whedon, not me. Though, I vow to god I'll take way better care of them, after I've put them through a lot of sh*t.

 

Distribution: Take it, post it, do whatever you want with it.Just don't say you wrote it.. (Not that anyone'd want to do that tho)

 

Summary: Tara left town between 'Wrecked' and 'Smashed'(All is canon until that part.) She ended up in a situation she never expected to be in.

 

 

 ********************* *

 

**Chapter 1 - A New Town**

 

 

" _Willow, when you get this I'm long gone. I left while you were at the movies with Dawnie. (Tell her it's not her fault I'm leaving)_

_The dark magic is killing you, and I'm not going to watch you tear yourself apart._

_Also, I don't want you to quit magic just because I say so, I want you to quit doing dark magic because it's not the way to go._

 

_I just hope that you realize that before it's too late._

 

_P.S I won't ever stop loving you"_

 

_\- Tara"_

 

 

Willow's hand trembled as she tearily read the note. She didn't know why she shouldn't do dark magic, nor did she understand it. But magic was the reason Tara left, and the reason Dawn was gonna have a broken arm for quite some time.

 

 

Just then Buffy opened Willow's bedroom door. The redhead shamefully looked away. "Is Dawnie gonna be okay?" Willow asked sadly. Dawn was hurt and it was all her fault.

 

"Yeah, she's sleeping right now. The ER doc gave her something for the pain. It knocked her out completely."

 

"I messed up really hard Buffy." Willow said, almost breaking down again. "I don't think I can make it better." She added with a quiet whisper.

 

"I'm not going to lie to you Will, I really don't understand. Why you'd go to somebody like Rack. And why you'd drag Dawn into it."

 

"We were just gonna go to the movies, but," Buffy looked at the silent redhead for an explanation. "The magic. I thought I had it under control. And then... I didn't."

 

The slayer understood part of it, but she still didn't understand why. "Why? Because of Tara?"

 

Willow got quiet. When did all this start really? She'd always been geek Willow, nerd Willow, bullied by everyone Willow, and with the magic, she could be powerful Willow, someone that was special, and not just someone that does your homework.

 

"No. It started way before that. Tara left because of that. Not just left me, but," Tears rolled down her cheeks, and they fell, and fell, and just kept falling. Willow's teary eyes looked at Buffy. "Buff, she left town. She's gone, not coming back. I screwed it." The redhead said, her face flooded with salty disgusting tears. She handed Buffy the note written on a small paper. "Oh god." Buffy said as she read it, this was really bad.

 

"Never." The redhead said, shamefullt.

 

"Never what?"

 

"I'm not doing any more spells. Not a single spell. I'm finished." The redhead said coldly.

 

Suddenly, the two girls heard a loud thunder, and the ceiling lamp in Willow's bedroom turned off.

 

Willow rolled her eyes and with a flick of her hands turned it on again. She shamefully sighed. "Buffy, there's something wrong with me." She whispered with fear. "I can't control it, not at all." The fear she contained was not for the magic, as one might assume, but Willow feared something worse, herself.

 

"I got a call from Giles today. He's at a coven in England." The slayer said, and idea forming in her head.

 

Willow raised an eyebrow, not understanting what Buffy meant.

 

"I told him you were getting out of hand, which he knew, and he said that if you need help, that you could come to the coven and they could help you. I just have to make a call."

 

The witch thought about it for less that a second, and said. "Do it. Whatever it takes. I wanna get better." She needed to get better, but a part of her made it feel impossible.

 

*************************

 

Tara Maclay was new to this city. She'd gotten off at the nearest bus station and got a motel room a few days ago. Right now she was resting in the ugly bed staring at the ceiling, and just once, only once, she closed her eyes to get some rest, just to find herself faced to a white clothed woman.

 

 

She stared at the woman, her light was brighter than the stars themselves. "Who are you?" The blonde asked, perplexed of why she was there.

 

"I didn't expect you to remember me, White One."

 

"W-what?" Tara frowned at the namecalling from the strangely familiar woman. Wasn't the White One some kind of mythical beeing, that was just.. mythical.

 

"When we met first you were only an infant. Pardon me, I am Lianna, goddess of choice and freedom."

 

"What do you want from me?" Tara asked, insicure of the woman's intentions.

 

"I do not want anything from you White One. I am but here to warn you."

 

"W-warn me? Of w-what?" Tara said, worried of what was to come.

 

"The red one- She has done dark magicks, far too much to return to normal by her self."

 

"She's not gonna d-d-die is she?" Tara asked, horrified of what the answer would be.

Lianna smiled sadly. "No, she is not meant to die within a long time, but I am afraid the magick she received from the fellow Rack is hurting her a lot more than expected."

 

"Expected? Did you k-know this was going to happen? Why didn't you d-do anything?" Asked Tara, worrying as much as she could. She knew arguing with a godess was pointless, but nothing made sense when it came to love.

 

"I cannot touch, nor can I tell in the mortal world." Lianna said"I am but here to tell you that The Red one, will get help, but you mustn't interfere with her recovery. Do not, and I repeat do not under any circumstances try to contact her before she is healthy again." The godess said seriously.

 

 

"Why?" Tara asked, nearly crying.

 

"Because the Willow you won't be there in a while. She has been poisoned by the dark magic, she is casting spells without even wanting to, that is dangerous for everyone in her near, and not even one with your power can protect herself from the dark magic that is inside her."

 

"White one, my time here is soon over, I have a few words to say. Do not trust the Wolf, the Ram and the Hart, they will try to convince you of seeing your soulmate, but don't." The goddess told Tara, worryness hid in the sentance.

 

Tara frowned, what did the goddess mean by the Wolf, the Ram and the Hart? She looked up to ask, but the goddess was long gone.

 

Within a second Tara found herself in her motel bed again, facing the motel ceiling. She had no idea if she should believe what the godess had told her.

 

Suprised to hear chattering birds, Tara looked out the small window with broken glass. When did morning happen? It seemed like it was just a few minutes ago she was resting in her bed because it was late in the evening.

 

"Well, I could go check t-this town out." The blonde mumbled quietly. She hurried to the small bathroom to brush her teeth. Exiting the bathroom, she was even more confused. Her period was two weeks late, which was strange, because she was always on schedule. <Might be all the stress lately. And when was the last time I ate something decent?> She thought.

 

The blonde grabbed her coat and ran out to catch a cab. Los Angeles was a large city, so there had to be a lot to discover.

 

And she was right, so far she'd seen a number of starbucks, differnent stores everywhere and almost one mall at every block. The people in L.A were very different, some were poor, some were rich, some were mean and some were nice. The only thing they all seemed to have in common was that they didn't belong in Los Angeles, no one seemed to.

 

But one thing that caught her interest was a small coffe shop that reminded her of where she used to live. Sure, her home life had pretty much sucked, but the upside of living in Alabama were the nice coffe shops.

 

She hesitated a moment, but decided to enter the café. She ordered a cappuccino as always, and quietly sat down and drank it. <I can't believe that this is my life. Where did I go so darn wrong?> She thought, and hummed a song her mother used to sing when she was little. When she still had her spark.

 

She finished her cappuccino and continued her walk around Los Angeles. A couple of hours later around three PM she found herself bored to death outside a kareoke bar.

 

She'd at least expected there to be something going on in L.A, but it was so boring. And that's coming from someone who grew up in Alabama, where nothing ever happens.

 

Tara walked a few blocks, but there wasn't a taxi anywhere to be seen. "I guess I have to walk back." She groaned quietly.

 

The blonde jumped a few meters when she heard a loud thunder, followed by ice cold rain. Within a few seconds she was soaked, and she had no idea which way was back to the motel.

 

Suddenly she felt like something or someone was following her. She turned around, but there was nothing there, nothing but the wet ground. A few blocks later, she heard a guttural growl, but still nothing there.

 

Finally she realized, that she just couldn't see anything there. There could still be something there. " _Detego"_ She quietly chanted. Her blue eyes widened as she saw an 8 feet tall demon rise above her. The demon growled once again. It'd clawlike hands hit Tara's jaw hard, sending her flying straight in the building wall on the other side of the road.

 

She tried to get up, but her body just wouldn't.With one push, she got up on her legs and ran. She ran as fast as her broken legs could, and suddenly, she fell. <This is it. This is how I'll die> Tara thought, before seeing a bright white light coming from somewhere.

 

****************************

"It's all right. It's gonna be alright. It's gonna be all right." Angel held his little child, trying to soothe him, but the thunder was far too frightening for a little newborn to deal with.

 

"Hey. Shh little fellow, try to sleep. It's only the thunder, it won't hurt you." He tried to calm Connor down, but the little one just continued to scream.

 

"He's afraid of the thunder isn't he?" Asked Cordelia soothingly.

 

"Uh, yeah. I don't get it. Just a minute ago the weather was perfectly fine, now it's all dark clouds and other baby un-friendly things out there. "Isn't that right my cute little Connor?" The former-evil vampire said in a childish voice to his son who just stopped crying.

 

"Angel.."

 

"Yes Cordy?" Angel asked in a sweet voice.

 

"Vision, now!" She screamed in pain. "There's a demon, he, he, oh god, he's killing her, she's in so much pain!"

 

"Okay, Cordelia, where is it?"

 

"Um.." She tried to repress the pain so that she could see something that could save the girl. She was in so much pain. Finally, she saw a sign. 10 Oak str. "10 Oak something." She said still in agony. "Ahh!" She shouted, feeling the girl's pain, her broken skull and bones. Finally, the vision eased off, but the pain really didn't.

 

"Cordy, are you okay?" Angel asked, holding Connor who'd started to cry again.

 

 

"Yeah, I'm fine." The wanna-be actress lied. "We have to save that girl, Gunn, you still have that slaying equipped car, right?" She asked Gunn, who'd come in to Angel's office due to her own screaming.

 

"Yep I'm really up for some demon killing right now." Gunn said, grabbing a sword. "Not a vampire right?"

 

"Definetely not, it's all yellow and gooey and I think it's trying to eat her. Wes, you coming along? We need someone that kan identify the demon." Cordelia asked her work-pal.

 

"Yes, of course." he said, also grabbing a weapon.

 

Angel smiled at his friends who were all looking at him, and said "Oh, I'm not coming with, I have to watch Connor. But, good luck."

 

"Yeah, good luck, as if that's gonna do it." Cordelia muttered, as she, Wesley and Gunn hurried to the car.

 

Five rainy minutes later they were almost at 10 Oak street. Gunn put the blinkers on, the rain making it nearly impossible to see anything.

 

"Over there!" Cordelia shouted as she saw someone lying on the dirty ground. Suddenly all three head a loud roar, coming from a large demon with claws and multiple stake-like things on its arms legs and back.

 

Gunn's eyes widened. "This is gonna be fun." He said as he threw a spear at the demon.

 

"No, Gunn, you have to break it's power source!" Wesley shouted from the other side, where he was firing a flamethrower to distract the demon.

 

"What power source?" Charles Gunn asked in confusion.

 

"I'm guessing that red crystal thing on it's stomach!" Cordelia shouted as she carried the girl to the car. She carefully laid her down on the seats and checked her blood pressure. It was low.

 

"Oh" Gunn said, and tried to duck the demon's claw-ish fists. He failed and the demon hit his face, sending him flying across the road. "Oh no you don't!" He said, going up again. A simple demon wasn't gonna stop him.

 

"Gunn, catch!" Cordelia quickly yelled, throwing a spear to Gunn.

 

The brave man caught it and after a few attempts, managed to crush the demon's power source. "Oh yeah." He said, proud over himself.

 

"You wouldn't have survived if Cordelia hadn't thrown you the spear." Wesley jealousley retorded. Gunn glared at the british ex-watcher. "Yeah right, I could easly have killed that thing."

 

"That **thing** would have been the last thing you'd seen because it would have killed you." The brit defended himself.

 

"You guys, enough with the testosterone war!" Cordelia rolled her eyes and forced both men to take a seat in the car.

 

"Wes man, this was so awesome!" Gunn exitedly said, to Wesley who was sitting in the backseat.

 

"You don't say?" Wesley responded. "I'm quite numb."

 

Gunn tried to keep his lie up but failed miserably as the pain became too strong. "Dude, I'm gonna need chiropractor help for like my whole life."

 

"That doesn't suprise me. Look at the girl, she's seriously hurt." Cordelia said, her eyes firmly attached to the road.

 

"It suprises me he knows what a chiropractor is." Wesley joked.

 

Gunn faked to be hurt, putting his hand at his chest and gasping. "Hey. I'm a very sofisticated man." He said, with a fake british accend.

 

"You guys, focus!" Cordelia scolded. "We have to get her to a hospital!"

 

"Oh, right." Gunn said excusingly and started to drive towards the hospital. When they finally reached the hospital, there were some ER people there to help.

 

The gang stayed in the waiting room for a long time. After a long time of waiting a doc came out and asked if anyone of them was related to her.

 

Wesley took Cordelia's hand and raised it along with his. "We're her cousins." He lied good enough to fool the doc.

 

"And you?" Dr. Stevens asked Gunn.

 

"No, I'm just a friend of hers." He said, lying about being related to the woman could be to risky, what with him being black and all.

 

"Fine, I have to speak to you two in private." The doc said, wanting both Cordy and Wesley to come in to the room where Tara was.

 

"The damage done to her is just facial, and she'll be fully recovered within a day or two. It's a miracle that none of the hard stomach wounds didn't cause any complications to her pregnancy."

 

"Pregnant?" Cordelia asked.

 

"Of course!" Wesley shouted, maybe a little to loud. "Excuse me?" Dr. Stevens asked.

  
"Oh, sorry. May I talk to Cordelia over here in private?"

 

"Yes, of course." The doc said and left the room.

 

Cordelia gared at Wesley. "What was the sudden outburst about, Wes?"

 

"She's pregnant." He said, as if that'd explain everything. "Huh?" Cordelia jus said.

 

"The demon. It's a rare kind of M'fashnik demon, it feeds of pregnant woman."

 

"Oh. Ew. There really is a demon for everything isn't there?"

 

TBC

(Oh yes, I'm leaving it there)

*********************************

 

**Chapter 2 - The Coven**

 

Willow sat quietly in the plane next to Buffy. Dawn had come along too, but she was in the restroom right now.

 

"I'm sorry." Buffy sadly whispered.

 

"What?" The redhead asked.

 

"I haven't been your friend for a long time Willow. I'm really sorry for that."

 

"Buffy, no." Willow tried to make the blonde stop. She couldn't really handle anything right now.

 

"I have been a terrible mother for Dawn, she thinks I hate her and everything just sucks."

 

"Buffy, I screwed up too. I lied to all of you, did dark magic I really can't handle, hurt Dawn and now, I'm a junkie. I can't go a second without worrying that if I relax for just one second, that I'll lose it completely."

 

The slayer tearily looked straigh in her best friends eyes, only to just see a shell of who she once was. "I have to tell you something, but I don't know how."

 

The witch closed her eyes. "Just do it." Willow knew what was coming. Buffy was going to tell her that she couldn't be friends with an addict, and that she was going to take the first plane back to Sunnydale.

 

"I slept with Spike." That, WIllow hadn't expected. "I 've been so detatched lately, I haven't been able to feel anything. And the only time I felt something was when-" Buffy was interrupted by something strange.

 

Willow was laughing. "You, slept with spike?!?"

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

*********************

 

WIllow smiled at the gurgling children sleeping in their bed. She grinned as her now-wife slid her arms around her.

 

Life just couldn't get any better. Suddenly, the blonde heard a little noise causing her to grin at her wife. "Will, did you just fart?"

 

"No siree, that was probaly Mike, he's gassy." The redhead lied.

 

Tara raised her eyebrows. "Were you planning on starting our marrige with a lie?" The blonde grinned.

 

"I'm sorry. It's those beans Anya served at our wedding. They are evil!" Willow joked, causing the blonde's grin to widen as

 

 

 

 


End file.
